The Sound Three
by T'Liana
Summary: Zaku Abumi's mother abandoned him at age ten. He never thought his life would get better after that, but four years later he enters Kohona High School and, thanks to stubborn classmates and a six-month-old baby, everything might just turn around.
1. Prologue

This story has been my main focus for over a year. I've put so many hours into making it a great piece of writing and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it! I really look forward to hearing your thoughts on how I've formed the characters.

I noticed there weren't any completed high school stories with the Sound Three so I decided to create my own. And here it is! It's very different to most of the ones I've read, with different themes and plot twists, but I hope the differences don't put you off.

Anyway, please enjoy and let me know what you think of my Zaku-centric high school fic!

Chichi – father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Prologue**

The day that Zaku Abumi's hahaoya left started out like any other.

He woke up at seven o'clock and rolled out of bed, dressing quickly. It was Saturday and there was plenty of work to be done even though it was the weekend. He stuck his head out the bedroom door and peered around, noting hahaoya's slumbering form on the worn leather couch.

Their apartment was very small. The floor was primarily grey carpet, with white tiles in the kitchen area and the bathroom. When Zaku stood at the front door, there were two yellowed doors to his left. The first led to the bathroom and the second to the only bedroom. In the bathroom, the glass-panelled shower was directly opposite the door. The outdated toilet was to the left of the shower, and the polished sink with peeling wooden drawers sat to the left of the door with the washing basket beside that. It was a small bathroom.

The living room was bare except for the couch resting on the right side. It was an old and worn couch made of leather and it always stank of deodorant and perfume.

Their kitchen was in the far left corner, resting in the corner of the bedroom and the outer wall. It was small with the wooden pantry in the corner, the white fridge beside that and the rusty stove/oven beside that. All three appliances rested on the wall of the bedroom. Just across from them were three brown wooden benches and the middle bench had a set-in silver sink. All three benches were hollow. Two padded stools leant against the benches, as that was where hahaoya and Zaku ate.

Directly left of the stove was the door to the bedroom. Upon entering, the heavy wardrobe sat in the right corner and the crisply-made bed was in the far right corner with a bedside table beside it. Bags filled with hahaoya's things laid against the left wall.

Sure, their home was small and bare, but it was home.

Hahaoya slept peacefully and her make-up was smudged. Zaku padded across the carpet and to the kitchen, where he retrieved a gleaming silver pot from the cupboard and filled it with water before setting it on the stove and turning the heat all the way up. The ten-year-old then grabbed a chipped mug and a teabag and set them on the bench for hahaoya when she woke, though he had no idea when that might be. She woke whenever she wanted and often complained of aches all over, so he gave her tea.

At least she'd been awake enough to take off her pretty dress. Zaku picked it up from the ground and moved quietly to the bathroom, dropping it into the washing basket before clasping the basket handles and sneaking out of the apartment. Once outside he was able to breathe easily.

His body relaxed as he strolled down the apartment corridor and down two flights of stairs to the basement, where three washing machines were set up. He separated the light and dark washing into separate machines and watched in fascination as washing crystals seeped out from the detergent box and pooled into the creases of the multi-coloured washing. The smell caused his nostrils to flare in disgust. Then he turned both machines on and set the basket down, leaving the basement as the washing had thirty minutes before it was completed.

He went back upstairs and slowly eased open his apartment door. Hahaoya was still sleeping and he tip-toed right past her to the stove, where he turned the knob down and poured some boiling hot water into the mug. The water quickly turned green and he carried the mug over to hahaoya, placing it on the ground next to the couch. She didn't stir. He slipped back into his room and pulled on socks and his only pair of shoes, grabbing his empty schoolbag before moving to the kitchen and pulling a piece of paper from underneath the only magnet on the fridge (a freebie from the University of Kohona).

Then he all but ran from the apartment and his sleeping hahaoya. The morning sun was warm on his face and the wind whistled through his thick brown hair invitingly. Black eyes sparkled with delight as skinny arms and legs pumped enthusiastically. Feet pounded against the uneven footpath as Zaku ran and ran and ran… all the way to the shops.

These shops were spread out over two blocks and all the locals went there. A single road separated the blocks and five colourful shops lined either side of the road: grocery, bakery, butchers, clothing, general items, coffee, music … all the essentials were there. It was just unfortunate that the locals had to go to the other side of town for things like doctors and haircuts. Kohona was quite the spread-out town and was the biggest town on the small Japanese island of Shikoku.

Zaku stopped outside the green-brick grocery and pressed his hands on his knees, panting. Several moments passed before he straightened and entered through the automatic glass door, holding the shopping list at the ready. The grocery was dimly-lit with several fluorescent lights set evenly along the ceiling, and thick wooden benches were arranged in rows like classroom desks, three long ones lined three walls. A tired-looking older woman stood behind the checkout counter, tapping away at a laptop with eyes glued to the screen. She glanced up as Zaku entered and smiled warmly as he made his way to the bench that had carrots.

His next stop after buying fruit, vegetables, noodles and rice was the red-brick butchers. This building also had automatic glass door and he was blasted by cold upon entry. It was brightly-lit inside and a lot smaller than the grocery with black-and-white checked tiles and white-washed walls. The display cabinet made an 'L' shape against one wall with the cold-room and meat machinery behind the L and there were already two butchers working behind the display, mincing meat and working on choice cuts. They called a greeting as the doorbell tinkled and Zaku waved cheerfully before moving to the chicken section.

Next door to the butchers was the yellow-brick bakery. After purchasing chicken breasts, ham, milk and cream Zaku pushed his way through the glass door as this one wasn't automatic. Another bell tinkled and he was blasted with the aroma of freshly-baked bread and the colour brown. Another glass display was set up but this one spanned directly across the shop with a two-way door tucked to one side. The glass display was perfectly clean and was filled with baked bread rolls, doughnuts, muffins and countless other delicious goods. Zaku smiled cheerily at the serving girl and she gave him his usual order of two multi-grain loaves.

He was grinning broadly when he crossed the deserted street to the blue-brick shop at the very end, bread loaves in hand. _Oto Music_ also had a bell that rung when he entered the softly-lit, polished wooden-floored shop. Two rows of acoustic and electric guitars lined one wall with boxes of amplifiers and electronics. The other two electric-blue walls were laden with countless other pieces of equipment: drums, reed instruments, keyboards, cymbals, trumpets and a single grand piano tucked away in a corner. A large shelf of CD's, music albums, small speakers, earphones and iPods sat in the very centre of the shop like a large island. The serving counter was directly beside the door with a large poster depicting a water-colour guitar on the wall above. This shop was dark and pleasing to the eye unlike the sharply-lit butchers.

"Good morning Suigetsu!" Zaku grinned. A blue-haired man stirred from behind the counter. His name was Suigetsu Hozuki and he was the owner.

"Morning Zaku," he greeted neutrally. "How are you?"

"I'm good. I'm just shopping while hahaoya is sleeping." He dropped the bread on the counter and looked around at all the instruments. "Do you have the new guitar yet?"

"I do." Suigetsu went out back and returned with a huge guitar that was just smaller than the ten-year-old. Zaku gasped and accepted the polished brown guitar, holding it reverently.

"I love it! Do you think I could get it if I saved up?"

"You could."

As far as Zaku knew, his hahaoya had once worked at _Oto Music_ , but she didn't anymore. Regardless, she and Suigetsu were friends and he was the only older man that Zaku really knew.

"I'm going to be a rock star one day," Zaku grinned. "I'll be the biggest star in all of Kohona!"

Suigetsu chuckled. "I'm sure you will."

Zaku allowed himself five minutes to play the new guitar clumsily, as he'd never actually learnt how to play. He reluctantly swapped it for the bread and smiled at the blue-haired man. "I'll see you later Suigetsu." With that, he was out the door and heading back home.

More people were out on the streets now and he kept his head down as he passed, not wanting to attract any attention. For some reason people would look at him pityingly when he passed but they never did it when hahaoya was with him.

He reached his apartment in fifteen minutes and lugged his heavy bag upstairs and dumped it on the kitchen bench, wincing at the loud _thump_. Hahaoya was still sleeping and her tea was cold, so he poured out half the cold water and refilled it with the warm water. He then put away all the shopping and went to the dimly-lit basement to collect the washing. It was heavier since it was wet but he managed to heave it all into the basket and drag it up a flight of stairs and outside to the washing line, where he opened the metal canister of pegs attached to the line and began to peg up the clothes, having to stand on his toes to reach.

"I will do my homework after I've cleaned the apartment," he told himself reluctantly. He didn't like school too much. At school he didn't really hang out with a specific group and generally ate in the music room when most other children were playing outside. He was in grade six at ANBU Primary School, which was one of the two primary schools in the town of Kohona. ANBU Primary was a long walk away but he managed it. Hahaoya spent a lot of money to keep Zaku in that school and he often wondered why he didn't go to Kohona Primary School, even though it was closer. Kohona Primary was the public school for average kids, while ANBU Primary was the private school for rich people. He wasn't rich. They didn't have a television or a computer or a phone. They didn't even have internet.

With the clothes finished, he set the basket beside the line (knowing no one would steal it) and went back to the apartment. Hahaoya was awake and drinking the tea groggily, rubbing her side. It was then that Zaku noticed dark bruises on her hips that looked suspiciously like fingerprints.

"Hahaoya, what happened?" he asked, rushing over.

"It's fine. I had an accident on the way home from work last night." She seemed to have a lot of accidents. "Don't think anything of it. Have you done the washing and shopping?"

"Hai."

"Good. I want the apartment clean and your homework done before I get back."

He nodded as hahaoya stood and limped to the only bedroom to get changed. The mug of tea was empty and he took it over to the small kitchen, setting it beside the sink.

"Suigetsu got the new guitar!" he called, opening the pantry and pulling out a box of muesli.

"That's great," hahaoya called back distractedly. His heart panged at her distant tone and he sadly poured himself a bowl of muesli and milk. It was tasteless against his tongue. Hahaoya dressed nicely, washed her face, reapplied her make-up and combed her hair before leaving without a goodbye. He knew she wouldn't come back until it was getting dark and she would dress nicely and do her hair prettily. Then she would leave without eating and Zaku would have the apartment to himself. It always happened, especially on weekends.

While hahaoya was away, Zaku cleaned the whole apartment. He scrubbed the floors and wiped down all the surfaces, as well as making the bed with the newly-washed sheets and sorting through everything in the kitchen and bathroom bench cupboards. They needed more washing detergent. The list was stuck to the fridge and he wrote it down quickly. Then he took the dry washing off the line, folded it, and placed it in the wardrobe. With the apartment clean, he started practicing his kata and bunkai.

Two years ago Zaku had started Chito-Ryu Karate-Do. He was orange belt now and had to learn _Kihon Dosa San_ and _Zenshin Kotai_ as well as _Kihon Dosa Bunkai_. Kata was basically a sequence of techniques, while bunkai was applying those techniques to a partner. Zaku never had a partner to practice with so he trained on his own. He did a class every Monday and Friday and every class cost ¥300, which was cheaper compared to the Jujitsu Dojo on the other side of town.

He practiced his kata and bunkai for two hours until he had had enough, then he grabbed his homework from the bottom of the wardrobe and spread it across the floor. Numeracy was a good subject for him but he was even better at Literacy. It was easy to write his spelling list and timetables and he was finished in an hour.

Hahaoya returned as it was getting dark. She ignored him and started getting ready for the night by putting on a pretty dress, fresh make-up and fluffing up her hair nicely. Zaku hurried to cook fried rice for dinner in the hopes that she would stay but she left before dinner was ready like she always did, so he ate by himself and put the leftovers in a container for breakfast the next morning. He dressed in his pyjamas and lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Hahaoya hadn't stayed for dinner much recently, preferring to go out with friends. She was always so distant. Zaku couldn't help but feel lonely as she often left him alone to handle things by himself. She said she was 'preparing him' but he didn't understand what that meant.

It was times like this when he wished his chichi was there. He'd never known his chichi and hahaoya never spoke about him so Zaku didn't ask questions. It didn't stop him from hoping and wishing. A male figure in his life would be wonderful but at the moment he was happy with hahaoya.

His happiness didn't last and he never saw hahaoya again. He woke up in the morning and all her things were gone from the bedroom and bathroom. All she left was a note taped to the fridge.

 _Zaku,_

 _I'm sorry. I did my best to be a good hahaoya, but I just can't. I'm not equipped to raise you through your teenage years. You're a strong, independent boy and it's all I can do to make you self-sufficient. I've asked Suigetsu to give you a job at_ Oto Music _so you can live comfortably. You can talk to him about it. He knows about my decision._

 _I'm not good for you. I can't raise you well. My habits are too bad to break and I don't want to expose you to the life I live. You'll do a better job raising yourself than I ever will._

 _I'm sorry,_

 _Hahaoya._

That was when the ache started in Zaku's chest and the tears fell before he could stop them.

"Hahaoya…" he sobbed. "Hahaoya…"


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Four years later a taller fourteen-year-old Zaku Abumi stood in front of his bathroom mirror, staring at his reflection.

Today was his first day of high school and, after the fiasco that was primary school, he didn't have high hopes for the year. After hahaoya left him, Zaku went through a downward spiral. He became irritable, rude and increasingly hostile towards his classmates and the only reason he wasn't expelled was because he kept his hands to himself. His marks suffered, though not as much, because he found that throwing himself into his schoolwork lessened the pain.

His reflection seemed to mock him. His skin was pale since he hadn't gotten any sun over winter break and his thick dark hair would have drooped over black eyes if a plain white headband with a music note emblazoned on the front didn't hold it back. Those black eyes were surrounded in rings of grey, born of tiredness, and lined by dark eyebrows and high cheekbones. He would be quite handsome if he wasn't so angry all the time.

A camouflage-coloured hoodie was zipped up to cover a white t-shirt, both of which were too big for him. His baggy grey jeans were also too big but just the right length, brushing the tops of his tattered blue skate shoes (the only shoes he owned). This was his normal outfit for winter, as he didn't have many clothes.

He took a deep breath and forced the reflection to smile. "You will go to school. You will not lose your scholarship. You will keep your head down and do your work. It's the only way you can finish your education and make a career. You will _not_ , I repeat, _not_ tell _anyone_ that you live alone because then they'd know you forged hahaoya's signature on all the applications." He nodded in satisfaction. "I can do this. It's just four years and then I'll be eighteen."

His old schoolbag sat on the kitchen bench and he checked it quickly before shouldering it. Books, stationary, salad sandwich, apple. That was everything he needed for his first day. A skateboard rested on the wall beside the door and he collected it before leaving the apartment and locking the door behind him. His neighbour, old Hiruzen Sarutobi, was fumbling with his keys as he tried to enter the apartment next door.

"Here." Zaku took the keys and used his superior coordination to turn the correct key.

"Thank you." Sarutobi picked up his plastic shopping bag and wandered into his apartment, closing the door behind him. Zaku wrinkled his nose at the smell of old people and continued walking until he reached the street, where he started using his skateboard instead. He pulled an iPod from his pocket (a gift from working at _Oto Music_ ), stuck in the earphones and set all music to shuffle. The music filled his mind as he skated to school and he enjoyed the detached feeling. Music always did that.

Kohona High was only a thirty-minute walk from his apartment and an even shorter distance on a skateboard. Zaku picked up his board as he reached the front gates and moved through without removing his earphones, hearing nothing but the music. People moved everywhere and he squeezed through them all until reaching the administration office, one of the many squat brick buildings. As a scholarship student he had to sign a few papers upon arrival.

The woman at the office was called Shizune and she was the one he'd spoken to about the scholarship. She saw him enter the office and immediately rifled through the many pigeon-holes beside her desk until finding the paper she wanted. No words were exchanged as Zaku filled out the form and signed at the bottom. He then handed it back to her, accepted his timetable, nodded briefly, and left the office.

People. So many _people_ and he knew none of them. All these teenagers had come from Kohona Primary and he'd come from ANBU Primary but no one would know that just by looking at him. It was nice to see people dressed just as bad as him. He checked his timetable for Monday.

 _Period 1: Literacy, Room 13_

 _Period 2: Literacy, Room 13_

 _Morning Tea_

 _Period 3: Music, Room 9_

 _Period 4: Music, Room 9_

 _Lunch_

 _Period 5: Numeracy, Room 25_

 _Period 6: Study, Library_

As a scholarship student, the final period of every day was study to allow him maximum success with assignments. This was great because he could use the school computers and internet to work, rather than make back-and-forth trips to the library all weekend.

He made his way to Room 13 and poked his head inside cautiously. Two light-grey walls were lined with windows and the wall at the front of the classroom had an attached SmartBoard and whiteboard. The fourth wall was covered in colourful posters depicting Literacy techniques like simile, metaphor, alliteration and hyperbole. Weird.

The room was a flurry of movement and he was sure it would be noisy if he removed his earbuds. Several groups were apparent. The only five girls in the class sat together chatting. A group of three nerdy-looking boys sat at the front and were deep in discussion. A sleeping boy and an eating boy sat together and four silent boys sat behind them. The final three boys were running around the room and probably making an absolute racket but Zaku couldn't hear them. So this was his class. He sat right at the back of the classroom and dumped his tattered bag on the yellow desk, resting his chin on the material as music continued to block out all other noises.

All activity ceased as a teacher entered the room, the three active boys quickly sitting down. He was quite tall with impressive grey hair and a mask that covered the lower half of his face. Zaku reluctantly turned off his iPod and pulled out his earphones.

"Good morning Genin," the teacher said, "the name's Kakashi Hatake and I'm your Literacy teacher for the year."

"Genin?" one of the girls asked.

"It's what we call freshman. There's a whole system that a group of seniors came up with about ten years ago." He smirked. "Freshmen are Genin, sophomores are Chuunin, juniors are Jounin and seniors are Kage. It separates our school from ANBU with our creativity and uniqueness versus their boringness."

"Were you part of that group?" a black-haired boy asked sensibly.

"Maybe." Kakashi shrugged and moved to his desk set in front of the whiteboard. He rifled through his stack of papers for a moment before extracting the class list. "Now I feel I should warn you that we do things differently at this school. At Kohona High we believe in teamwork and as a result, at the beginning of your Genin year we separate all students into groups of three."

A blonde boy stood indignantly. "But why?"

"Working with others is a significant part of life," Kakashi sighed. "Our teaching methods get you used to that. So when I call out your name and give you a table I expect you to move there."

The boy directly in front of Zaku grumbled. "Working with others will only slow me down."

"Group one: Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi and Ino Yamanaka. Front left." The sleeping boy, the eating boy and a pretty blonde girl all moved to their seats.

"Group two: Yoroi Akado, Misumi Tsurugi and Kabuto Yakushi. Front centre." The three nerdy-looking boys sat obediently.

"Group three: Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga and Tenten Kunai. Front right." A quiet boy with long black hair, a weird guy with a bowl cut and a girl with brown hair stood and went to the front of the class.

"Group four: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Middle Left." Two boys – one with blonde hair and the other with black – and a girl with pink hair all moved to the table reluctantly.

"Group five: Zaku Abumi, Kin Tsuchi and Dosu Kinuta. Middle centre." Zaku gave a start and automatically moved to the centre of the room, joined by a hunchbacked boy with short blonde hair and bandages around his face and a girl with incredibly long black hair.

"Group six: Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuga. Middle right." A boy with glasses, a boy with grubby brown hair and a pale-skinned black-haired girl were quick to sit down.

Everyone stared at each other.

"Good. Now that's done, I'd like you to go outside and choose a locker from the ones against the classroom wall. Put your bag inside and bring back a notebook and pen so we can officially begin our first class."

The room burst into movement as everyone rushed to the door. Zaku stayed put until everyone else had moved outside before following and lingering back until there was a clear space. He quickly grabbed a free locker and stuffed his bag inside before extracting his only thick notebook and pen. Kakashi was writing on the board when he entered and his group was already seated.

"Now," Kakashi said, "I'd like you to turn to your group and ask these questions to all of them. You have ten minutes to get to know each other. Go." Chatter broke out around the classroom.

 _What are your hobbies?_

 _Do you have any siblings?_

 _Do you have any pets?_

 _What sports do you play?_

 _What would you like to do after you graduate?_

This whole teaching method was stupid. Zaku grumpily turned to the boy and girl, who were both looking at him expectantly. "What?" he grumbled. "You go first."

The girl sighed. "Hi, I'm Kin Tsuchi. My hobbies are sewing, reading and watching anime. I have no siblings or pets and play no sports. After I graduate I want to be a musician but my chichi will probably make me go into the family business." While looking at her, Zaku found himself examining her features closely. She had a round face and obviously ate well; good skin, shiny black hair that went down to her knees and soft brown eyes set in angular sockets. Her mouth looked like it smirked a lot. She wore comfortable-looking black jeans, a snug green jacket and stylish black boots.

When the finished the boy beside her stared at the ground. "My name's Dosu Kinuta. My hobbies are listening to music and playing with my dog. I don't have any siblings but I have a little dog called Eko. I don't play any sports and I don't know what I want to do after I graduate." His entire face (excluding the eyes, nose and mouth) was completely covered in bandages that wound to the back of his head. Short blonde hair poked out from the top of his head and pointed down towards dark blue eyes. Headphones dangled around his neck, resting on a fur-trimmed jacket that was joined by khaki trousers and battered brown boots.

He didn't know what to make of either of them. "I'm Zaku Abumi. I like playing guitar. No siblings, no pets and no sports. I have no plans for the future." He leant back in his chair and eyed the two teenagers warily, having no intention of befriending either of them. Friends were pointless and the only person he could count on was himself.

Kakashi cleared his throat, attracting all the attention. "Now you've made the introductions I can give you your first project for the year. It's called _A Week in the Life Of…_ and you spend the week with your group learning about their habits and generally getting to know them better. I have the journal somewhere… here!" He held up a pile of booklets. "Take one and pass it around."

Zaku was beginning to regret bothering to apply for the scholarship. He wished he could skip class but his scholarship didn't allow it; he had to attend class and receive top marks in all his assignments otherwise he'd be kicked out of school. Lucky he was smart, but these assignments were stupid. These people were stupid. He grabbed a booklet and set it on the table in front of him.

"One thing I should tell you about: you're marked as a group. If one member of your group fails then you all fail. It's part of the system where you learn to help others reach their full potential and encourage them to work hard." Kakashi's head would look great on a spike. "At the end of the week during the Friday lesson you'll then write a reflection on the people in your group, stating how your opinion of them has changed over the course of the week."

Naruto, sitting at the table beside Zaku, spoke up, "but what if you totally hate someone in your group? I don't want to spend a week with that rich snob."

Beside Naruto, Sasuke merely looked unconcerned. "Sit down before you embarrass yourself," he snapped.

"Mister Uzumaki, I would prefer it if you sat," the teacher conceded. "You may find your opinions _can_ change."

Not likely. Zaku extracted his earphones from his pocket and stuck them in his ears, zoning out while the class erupted into chatter again. Kin and Dosu spoke quietly, occasionally glancing at the unresponsive boy, but on the whole ignored him. They both opened their booklets and began working. Zaku, with some mortification, realised he'd have to ask them personal questions if he was to pass this project.

He yanked one earphone out and glared at them. "So what do you do during the week?"

Kin stared at him. "Well we don't know that right now. We're supposed to take note of what we do during and after school and share it the next morning." She narrowed her eyes at his dismissive gesture. "You don't have to be so rude."

"Whatever."

Kakashi cleared his throat again. "I'll give you ten minutes at the end of the double to discuss the project but for now I'd like to bring your attention to the SmartBoard as soon as I plug in my laptop… Hai, here I'll be bringing up all the work we'll be doing for the next two terms so you have an idea of what's in store for Literacy. Then I'll be leading you through the basics: nouns, verbs, that kind of thing."

The lesson was completely boring. Zaku simply stuck in his earphones and paid no attention, sneakily copying off Kin's notes when she wasn't looking. This was stuff he knew already but it didn't hurt to have the definitions down on paper. It made studying so much easier.

During the holidays Zaku had come to the school while it was closed and taken a look around, noting the classrooms and other buildings. He'd found a nice little nook underneath the music room that was perfect for when he ate lunch. After the bell went he stuffed his things in his locker, grabbed out an apple and high-tailed it to the nook, tucking himself in the small alcove beside a metal cag surrounding a water tower. The spot was quite comfortable and he had a wonderful view of the forest right beside the school.

His apple was tasteless as his eyes moodily roamed the trees. Zaku was a very moody and pessimistic teenager but it was no surprise, given his own hahaoya had abandoned him. There weren't really any bright spots in his life at the moment but somewhere, in the deepest recesses in his mind, he hoped that something good would come. Maybe he'd find some happiness.

o.O.o

Boring. That's how Zaku Abumi would describe his first day at Kohona High. Double Literacy was followed by double Music (in which their teacher, Asuma Sarutobi, droned on about treating instruments as an extension of the body), Numeracy (in which Iruka Umino lectured the class groups about the importance of teamwork while studying), and study (in which he sat back and spent the time listening to music). All in all: boring.

He passed house after house on his way to work, the Kohona Day-Care & Nursery being the only non-house he passed. His skateboard crackled along the concrete ground and he expertly manoeuvred the many streets until reaching the two blocks of shops. _Oto Music_ was his target and he picked up his skateboard before entering the shop.

After hahaoya left, Suigetsu had put forth the job offer as she'd asked. With no choice but to accept, Zaku began work at _Oto Music_ , earning ¥275 an hour. The work itself wasn't bad – all he needed to do was talk to customers and make them buy things – but the hours were tedious since they were mostly after school when he wanted nothing more than to go home.

His co-worker, Sai Uchiha, looked up from his art diary as Zaku entered. Zaku remembered a boy in his class called Sasuke Uchiha and wondered if the two were related. If so, why was Sasuke at Kohona High and Sai at ANBU High?

Sai said something and Zaku took out her earphones. "Huh?"

"I said, how was your first day?" Oh hai, Sai had started school the week before.

"Boring." He moved into the backroom and dumped his bag, bringing only his iPod to the serving desk. Sai was idly drawing a garden at night – he was fantastic at anything artistic.

"Made any friends?" the pale-skinned boy murmured distractedly.

Zaku grunted. "No. Who's Sasuke?"

"My cousin."

There was no more conversation. Zaku and Sai weren't friends; merely co-workers; but they were both blunt and often offended people by saying the wrong thing. Letting out a groan, Zaku picked up a nearby guitar and absent-mindedly strummed the strings.

Actually, there was a bright spot in Zaku's life: his music. The guitar was his passion and the only time he felt remotely happy among all the angst of real life. In his opinion, reality sucked, so he lost himself in his music. Sai, Suigetsu and his neighbour Sarutobi were the only ones who'd heard him play because he'd always shied away from Music class in primary school. Now, in high school, maybe he'd be comfortable playing for an audience.

He worked from three o'clock to seven o'clock, serving customers, repairing instruments and unpacking stock. Sai finished at the same time and they locked up the shop before going their separate ways. Zaku skated home and went straight to the kitchen, putting a pot on boil and grabbing a packet of noodles from the pantry. While the water boiled he dumped his bag on the bench and brought out the Literacy work, jotting down that afternoons boring activities.

"Oh, hai, I have such an interesting life," he muttered. "Go to school, go to work, come home, do my homework, eat dinner alone and go to bed. Real fun."

Having the apartment to himself wasn't fun. With paying for rent, food, water, electricity and repairs, he had very little money to spend on anything else. The bills along cost ¥16,900 a fortnight and he only earned ¥17,600. As he wasn't old enough to live by himself he was careful to keep his situation private, meaning he couldn't get money from the government and had to be entirely self-sufficient. The only positive to his money situation was that, as he had been a member of the Chito-Ryu dojo for five years, his fee had been dropped from ¥300 to ¥150.

With the homework done, he wandered to the bathroom for a quick cold shower, just long enough to wash the grime and sweat from his skin. Hai, he didn't have money to spare on hot water, so his showers were cold. He hadn't had a warm shower in years. The cold water bit into his skin and littered it with goose-bumps that felt like ice when he stepped out from under the stream. Cold showers in winter were awful but in summer it was fantastic.

Clad only in underwear, he dumped a generous portion of noodles into the boiling water and began chopping up some carrot and dried seaweed. He then put both ingredients in a frying pan along with a dollop of soy and teriyaki sauce. The mixture was sizzling in moments and he smiled softly at the wonderful aroma. Cooking was one of his guilty pleasures, even if he made the same things over and over again. It was part of the reason he'd chosen the Hospitality elective as well as Music. Everyone had chosen two electives and, strangely, he found himself wondering what electives Dosu and Kin had chosen. They were in his Music class but what else…?

He shook his head. When had he started thinking about that happy-go-lucky pair? Grumbling, he turned his attention back to his dinner and brought the vegetables off the heat, mixing them around in the pan. The noodles were done and he stuck the lid on the pot, carefully pouring the boiling water into the sink. He then mixed the sauce in with the noodles and tipped the result into a bowl. Dinner was served and it was just another routine.

It got awfully lonely at times but he'd learned to live with it. If he wanted company he would just seek it out but, as he had trust issues and didn't want company, he was doomed to loneliness. Not that it bothered him. Zaku was fine on his own.

When the bowl was empty he filled the pot with water again, set it to boil, and scrubbed away at all the plates and cutlery for the day in the sink. He went through the chores with a sense of numb routine. It was eight o'clock by the time he finished the washing up and he went straight to bed, knowing that playing guitar this late would make old Sarutobi mad.

What a life he led.


	3. Chapter 2

So all the karate stuff in this chapter should be correct. I do Chito-Ryu and I based the class off my knowledge from that. It's pretty cool, in August the Soke Cup's happening in Japan, our big international tournament held every three years.

At **heartsXkisses** , thank you for letting me know. I'll bear that in mind for future chapters.

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 2**

Zaku had survived his first week of high school and it was now Friday. He already hated most people in his class.

There were a few that stood out. Ino Yamanaka was incredibly loud, gossipy and annoying, as was her pink-haired friend Sakura Haruno, and they focused more on their appearance than school. Naruto Uzumaki was also loud and annoying with a penchant for aggravating their Literacy and Numeracy teachers. Rock Lee was too optimistic and enthusiastic about life for it to be healthy. Sasuke Uchiha was just a jerk.

After a boring assembly, in which Principal Tsunade droned on about the school's reputation and whatnot, he spent Numeracy class sitting silently with Kin and Dosu, doing the set work. He wasn't looking forward to Literacy because then he'd have to actually talk to his group so they could complete their project.

Kakashi was way too excited about their group work. "Okay, so you have the whole lesson to complete your booklets and I want them back before the bell rings, got it?"

Zaku glanced at his group, tempted to put in his earphones and drown out the conversation, but Kin spoke to him before he could. "So, Zaku, what did you do during the week?"

He tossed his booklet weekly timetable over to them, saying nothing, and watched as their eyes narrowed. "Did you seriously do the same thing every single day?" Dosu asked, blue eyes peering out from between the bandages.

"The booklet doesn't lie. What about yours?" He didn't care, but it was crucial to the project.

Kin hit him in the face with her booklet. "Take a look."

He appraised the booklet with disinterest. It looked like Kin was home every afternoon except for Wednesday, where she went to some kind of business function dinner. Based on what he found, he hadn't really learnt much about her.

Dosu was the same, although he spent an hour every afternoon walking his dog. They really led such uninteresting lives.

 _My opinion on Kin and Dosu remains unchanged. I have no interest in either of them and their lives. To me, Kin seems to be wealthier than most and I dislike wealthy people. Dosu has no personality whatsoever and I have no intention of becoming friends with them._

With his work done, Zaku stuck in his earphones and leant back in the chair. His reverie was broken by a tap on his shoulder and he reluctantly removed the earphones and paused the song. "What?" he snapped.

Kin forced a smile. "We're going to be stuck together for a while so it doesn't hurt to be friendly once in a while."

"Fine." He shrugged. "Do you two know each other?"

Dosu replied, "We've been in the same class for years."

"Cool." Despite himself, Zaku wondered what their parents were like. Did they have parents? "What are your parents like?"

Kin shrugged. "My chichi's a businessman and hahaoya's a housewife. They're boring people." She shifted uncomfortably when mentioning her chichi and Zaku immediately knew that their relationship was complicated.

"Dosu?"

"Never knew my chichi. Hahaoya manages this dingy little pub on the other side of town and she always comes home drunk…" He tilted his head at Zaku, rubbing the bandages on his chin. "What about your parents?"

He immediately shut himself away from the conversation, destroying all interest he'd felt. "I don't want to talk about it." The earphones were back in and the music was turned right up. He really didn't know anything about Kin and Dosu.

Kin came from wealth, which he already knew, but he didn't know that she hated the money. Her chichi managed one of the many businesses owned by the powerful Uchiha family and, as his only daughter, she was expected to be a good little girl and obey his every command. That meant going to fundraisers and functions whenever they occurred and putting on a happy face to boost her chichi's social standing. He'd tried very hard to send her to ANBU Primary and ANBU High but she'd managed to win that argument, going to the public school instead. She didn't regret it. School was the only place she didn't feel like a pampered princess and she loved the normality.

She and Dosu had gotten along fine in primary school. They were both loners – the rich girl and the deformed boy – so it made sense that they spent time together, even if it was just sitting side-by-side in class. Kin was happy that Dosu was in her group because she knew he worked hard and was determined to do well.

Dosu was the complete opposite of Kin. Where she had money and class, he was poor and had no social standing. His hahaoya was a lowlife pub manager who gave out favours for some extra money on the side, resulting in strangers parading through their unit almost every weekend. His chichi had died before Dosu was born and the boy sometimes wondered what would have happened if both his parents were alive. One thing he knew: even if his chichi hadn't died, he would still be permanently disfigured. Dosu had been born with a nasty infection to the face and a permanent hunchback and it served to frighten other children away, all but Kin. Her dismissal of his condition gave him the confidence to try hard at school but he never told her that. He was fine with her presence, not her friendship, though now it seemed he would be getting her friendship regardless.

The two teenagers didn't know what to think about Zaku. They'd spent an hour the night before discussing it over the phone, wondering why he was shrugging off their offers to talk. No conclusion had been reached but they'd resolved to be more forceful in their approaches. Zaku seemed like the kind of boy to react when provoked. There was one major clue about his position in life: he wore the same camo hoodie and same dark blue shoes every single day. Kin suspected that he'd worn those same jeans for the last five days as well.

"So…" She bit her lip, trying to think of something to say. "What's it like having a job?" Too late, she realised that Zaku had put his earphones in and she angrily yanked them out.

"Hey!" He cried, snatching them back. "What'd you do that for?"

Kin forced herself to calm down. "I asked what it's like having a job."

"Oh." His eyes lost the angry glint and he settled in his seat, glad that the conversation was on better terms. "Its money I guess. I can't complain." He shifted his gaze to Dosu, glancing over the bandages that covered the other boys face. What was wrong with him? No, it would be wrong to ask. He didn't know the boy well enough. Zaku groaned, realising that he'd _again_ thought about being friendly to them.

"Kin and I made plans to hang out on Sunday," Dosu said absently. "You game?"

Zaku's eyebrows knitted together at the words. "I have work."

"Oh. What about Saturday?"

"I have work."

"Do you work every day?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "What's it to you?"

Kin chuckled. "You can stop trying to push us away. We're your group for another four years so there's no shying away from us."

He glared. "I never needed friends and I don't intend to start now." That signalled the end to the conversation and he stuffed his earphones back in, determined to ignore them. Just who did they think they were?! They had no right to come in and pry about his life like that. If he didn't want to talk then they should respect that. It was like they were purposely trying to annoy him so he'd let his guard down… Not happening!

Five minutes before the bell Kakashi called the class to order. "Okay, time to hand up your booklets!" he called. There was a class-wide shuffle as everyone rushed to toss their booklet on the desk and sit back down. Zaku moved with the crowd, brushing past the only all-boy group to get to the desk. He was about to place down his booklet when he was shoved forward.

Sasuke and Naruto were in the middle of another argument, the blonde having shoved the Uchiha back against Zaku.

"I am _not_ an idiot!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke pushed Zaku away dismissively, shooting the taller teen a death glare. Zaku wasn't fazed by the glare.

"Boys, that's enough!" Kakashi yelled, stepping between the two. "You are in a group and the purpose of this whole system is to get you to work as a team. I expect you to adhere to school policy and start acting like a team. It doesn't matter if you hate them because this system allows you to get to know what makes them tick. If you pull your head out of the ground you'd see that all of you are the same. Now, since you seem to need to spend so much time together Sasuke and Naruto, it's detention after school."

Naruto paled. "But sir, I have work! I can't miss it! Can't we do it during lunch, please?"

Kakashi stared at the blonde boy for the longest moment. "Given your special circumstances, I'll let it slide. Detention. Lunch. My office."

Everyone seemed to be wondering the same thing. What special circumstances?

o.O.o

Zaku was sitting in his little alcove humming along to Avicii when Dosu and Kin intruded on his space. He quickly grabbed his water bottle and apple and drew them close, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the pair.

"What do you want?" he asked, turning down the music.

Kin shrugged. "We wanted to sit with you." They sat down with him, leaning against the wall, and brought their morning tea out from their pockets. Zaku's mouth watered at the sight of cheese sticks, freshly-made sushi, chocolate biscuits and fruit slice. Any less control and he would have leapt forward and grabbed all the delicious food.

"Why do you have just an apple?" Dosu asked, biting down on a cheese stick.

He was too ashamed to admit the truth. "I'm not really hungry."

"Right… I can see you eyeing our food." Kin held out her fruit slice. "I don't really like this. Do you want it?"

Pride got in the way. Stupid, stupid pride. "No, I'm fine." He looked away from the amazing food and bit down on his unappealing apple. "So Kin, what's it like living the high life? All the wealth you could ever have…"

She snorted and he spared a glance at her attire. It didn't scream 'rich!' like one would assume. Her tight-fitting green jacket was completely unmarked and unadorned, as were her light grey skinny jeans and knee-high black boots. Black hair streamed down her shoulders, all the way to her knees, and was tied up in a ponytail. Her style of dress indicated that wealth wasn't her main concern. She looked like a normal middle-class girl and Dosu was a normal middle-to-lower-class boy.

"I hate money," she declared. "My chichi tries to use it to control me by buying things but it never works. And he makes me go to all those events to parade me off to his business buddies. I heard him talking to Sasuke's chichi about marrying me to that jerk!"

"Sounds hard." Zaku couldn't sympathise. He really couldn't. "Let me ask you something. Do you get a warm shower after coming home? Does someone put a meal in front of you when you're hungry? Do you get driven around everywhere?"

She tilted her head curiously, thinking about his questions. "Warm showers, hai. Meals, only dinner. I make my breakfast and lunch myself. As for driving, I think it's a waste of resources so I avoid it whenever possible and catch the bus."

He leant close, invading her personal space. "Coming from the guy who hasn't had a warm shower in years, your life is fantastic."

She snorted. "Oh hai, it's so fantastic. I'll bet you know what freedom is. Is it so hard to imagine that that's what I want too? I want to be free to make my own decisions about _my_ life. Sure, the material stuff is great, but the other stuff isn't."

The argument stilled for a moment as Zaku leant back, sizing up the girl. She'd surprised him. He pinned her as the rich-chichi's-girl type, not as the strong independence-seeking type. Looking at her, he could see bits of himself within. She was strong-willed and cared little for money, like him, and wanted to make her own way into the world. He respected that.

Dosu was glancing between the two of them nervously, chewing on his sushi. An argument was good because they were getting Zaku to talk, which was their intent. Now Dosu could see clearly that Zaku was struggling to deal with them. He wasn't used to talking to people – that much was clear – but he was trying. That gave the bandaged boy hope.

The bell blared and they all jumped, glancing upwards in reflex. Kin tossed her fruit slice to Zaku as she stood up. "You have it," she said, turning and moving around the music room. Dosu followed and as soon as he was alone, Zaku devoured the fruit slice, moaning at the taste.

He had Music now and retrieved his books from his locker before going to class, feeling incredibly warm and comfortable. Asuma Sarutobi was the teacher and he didn't look up when Zaku entered, preferring to strum a guitar absently. Zaku sat wherever he wanted, as this was elective and the group system didn't apply. Thankfully he didn't have to put up with Naruto and Sasuke's arguing in this class, as neither had chosen this elective. He didn't open his notebook, as they were supposed to be playing instruments this lesson, and didn't react as Kin and Dosu sat to his left. If they were going to be stubborn then fine. He had more important things to worry about.

Asuma only took an interest in the class when the next bell rang. He put down the guitar and sat on his desk, elbows pressed to his knees. "Today we're going to be trying out instruments to see what you specialise in, which will make your assignments easier."

The pink-haired Sakura girl raised her hand. "Easier? I don't get it."

"When you write music you'll be writing it for your specific instrument, say the clarinet or guitar. It's possible to change instrument over the next few weeks but after that you're stuck with what you've got. So have a play and see what you come up with. You have until the end of class to make a decision."

Immediately the class scrambled for an instrument. Dosu went to the closest of the three drum sets and sat down, watching his group members. Kin was collecting a keyboard and connecting cords to bring over to where Dosu sat and Zaku was examining the rack of guitars. Finding one he liked, he grabbed it and joined the other two despite all common sense. Dosu and Kin shared a look of triumph. While the girl set up the keyboard expertly, the boys fooled around with their respective instruments. Dosu began a slow and steady, but catchy, tune. _Boom-boom-BA-boom-boom-BA-boom-boom_ … Zaku randomly plucked strings, changing from A to C, down to F sharp and back up again. His fingers moved in a well-practiced rhythm and he knew that playing the guitar was for him.

When Kin joined in, their melody was flawless. Beautiful piano notes rang throughout the room, joined by powerful drum beats and mournful guitar strums. All eyes turned to the creators of the wondrous music and the three students were completely unaware of the scrutiny, preferring to continue the song. Music was where they were happy.

In that moment they connected: three students that people thought unpopular and unimportant. Though it would take Zaku some time to come to terms with it, they had officially become a group.

o.O.o

Friday afternoons were different for Zaku. It was the one afternoon he didn't have work and he put it to good use.

One class of Chito-Ryu Karate-Do usually cost ¥300 but, as he'd been a member of the dojo for over five years, Zaku only paid ¥150 per lesson. The reduction was fantastic because the boy could save ¥300 every fortnight to put towards his expenses.

The class was at half-past-three and he stopped by his apartment after school to change into his crinkled white gi before skating down several streets and across a bridge to where the dojo was. He dropped his skateboard by the front door, knowing no one would touch it, and ducked underneath the curtained doorway. The dojo was very basic with big windows set in each wooden wall, wooden floors and racks of equipment stacked in a corner. Young children raced around the polished floor happily while Zaku slipped his money into the payment box, tightened his headband and tied on his worn blue-belt.

The sensei of the dojo, Jiraiya Godaime, spotted Zaku and strolled over cheerily. "Hey, hey, hey! How's it going Zaku?"

"Its fine," the boy replied, finishing with his belt and slipping off his shoes, placing them beside the door among other pairs of shoes. "High school has its ups and downs."

Sensei Jiraiya was incredibly active for his old age and the envy of many because he'd snagged a beautiful younger wife who, to Zaku's sudden realisation, was the principal at Kohona High. Tsunade was married to his sensei? He gaped at the white-haired man in shock.

"Hey." Jiraiya frowned. "What's with the weird look?"

"Your wife is the principal of my school?!" he cried.

"Uh, hai. She's a black-belt here and comes by every Monday and Wednesday. No wonder you've never seen her."

"Okay…" The boy glanced at the clock. "Shouldn't class be starting?"

"Oh right!" The white-haired sensei rushed to the front of the dojo, calling out, " _Shugo!_ " The class fell into line behind him and Zaku was at the very front, as all the other students were lower rank than him. He was also the oldest in the class by two years and should technically be in a more advanced class, only his timetable didn't allow for it. As an older dojo member, Zaku was allowed to attend this junior class for one more year until he turned fifteen. " _Shomeni, rei!_ " The class faced the front and bowed. " _Sensei-ni, rei_."

" _Onegeshimasu_."

"Alright, Zaku will be leading the warm-up. Have at it!"

Zaku moved to the front of the class. "Jumping up and down – _ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, sichi, hachi, kyu, ju_ – hips around – _ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku_ – other way – _ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku_. Down to the back and five laps running, two lap's side-stepping and one lap _mae geri_ at knee-height."

The other children followed his lead, their bare feet slapping against the firm wooden floor, and turned before running into the wall (Jiraiya hated it when students put their grubby hands on the wall). Five laps of running and two of side-stepping were followed by knee-height front kicks, with Zaku paying attention to his pull-back. He finished all the laps first and noted with some satisfaction that the younger students were following his example by focusing on snapping their foot back after kicking.

"Alrighty!" Jiraiya shouted after the warm-up was finished. "Orange-belts and above with me and yellow-belts and below with Zaku. Zaku, just work through basic stepping and the first two katas."

"Hai." He moved over to the ten white- and yellow-belts and organised them into two lines of five. "We'll start with basic _seisan dachi_. Right?"

"Hai!" the kids nodded.

"Okay. _Uchi hachi dachi, yoi_." They all moved their feet shoulder-width apart with toes turned in. " _Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, sichi, hachi, kyu, ju_." He called out the steps and they all moved forward, squaring their hips with one foot in front of the other. As the kids moved forward he continually stepped around them, making little corrections to their stances like bending the front knee and turning out the front heel. After two solid laps he'd checked every kid and they moved to _shiko dachi_ , or 'horse-riding' stance as some people knew it as. There were two more laps before he grinned, made a joke about his first experience with _shiko dachi_ (in which he face-planted), and led them through _kihon dosa ichi_ and _kihon dosa ni_. As Jiraiya was still going through kata with his group, Zaku made them sit and stretch. He grinned at the kids, taking in their cheerful faces and high-pitched voices. He was like them once: vibrant and happy. Envisioning Kin and Dosu's faces in his mind, he found himself hoping he'd be happy again.

Ten push-ups, sit-ups, squat-kicks and two rounds of _kihon dosa_ bunkai later and the class was lined up as they were in the start. Jiraiya snapped to attention and the class followed. " _Shomani, rei!_ " They all bowed. " _Sensei-ni, rei!_ "

" _Arigato gozai masta_."

" _Utagani, rei_."

They turned to the person beside them (the last three people in the line forming a triangle) and bowed. " _Arigato gozai masta_."

Jiraiya clapped his hands and grinned. "Alright! Have a great afternoon and I'll see you next week." The class dispersed as the students for the next class moved into the centre of the dojo and Jiraiya clapped Zaku on the shoulder. "You're a natural with kids Zaku," the white-haired man grinned. "I'm glad you've stuck with us so long."

"You give me free gradings," the boy retorted, running a hand through his messy hair. "I wouldn't've made it to blue-belt if you hadn't bent the rules a little bit."

"Hey." Jiraiya nudged his favourite student. "I respect your position and you worked off the money in class." He glanced to the doorway and his face brightened. "Tsunade!"

Zaku spun and paled at the sight of his school principal. Blonde, curvy and big-breasted with impeccable fashion sense, Tsunade could kill a man with a single look. Her hazel eyes looked from her husband to Zaku and thankfully she didn't recognise him from school. There were ninety other Genin anyway and it had only been a week.

"Hey love." Tsunade took off her shoes and approached the two, kissing Jiraiya's cheek fondly. "So is this the star pupil you've told me about?"

"Hai." He grinned cheerfully. "He just started at Kohona High."

"Really? Well it's a pleasure to see you again…"

"Zaku Abumi." He glanced at the ground uncomfortably, the contentment from karate leaving his system.

"And you're a Genin?"

"Hai."

She looked him up and down speculatively. "I hope to see you put the same energy to your studies that you do to your karate. Jiraiya speaks very highly of you."

"I don't want to disappoint," he said quietly. "I need to get home. My… hahaoya needs me to run a few errands before she gets home."

"Oh, don't keep her waiting! You never keep a woman waiting." Jiraiya winced as Tsunade hit his arm. Zaku left the dojo, slipped on his shoes and waved goodbye to the other students before skating home. Old Sarutobi's apartment door was open and Zaku glanced inside as he passed, noting that the man was on the phone.

"I know Konohamaru. Your chichi wants you here tomorrow morning and you'll be coming here regardless of how much you protest. There's a boy next door that you might get along with. He always asks to borrow my vacuum cleaner on Saturdays. Hai, he's nice. He might play with you." Sarutobi looked out his door and saw Zaku standing there. "Speak of the devil, there he is! Zaku, my grandson Konohamaru is visiting tomorrow. He's really energetic so would you mind giving me a hand? I'm a poor old man with arthritis…"

Zaku sighed. He had a soft spot for the kind old man who always leant him a vacuum cleaner. "Sure, just as long as he's not a brat." He waved to the old man and went to his own apartment, unlocking the door and tossing down his skateboard before collapsing on the couch. He groaned into the leather. Why had he just agreed to that? Damn that Sarutobi for being so nice.

He dragged himself to his feet and stripped off. It was barely five o'clock and he still had time to practice his guitar before Sarutobi went to bed, then he would shower, have dinner, do his homework and go to sleep.

What a gripping life.


	4. Chapter 3

Okay I know Zaku's a bit of an ass, but I promise it gets better! This story is about his inner journey as a person but there are some action parts in future chapters.

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 3**

Zaku arrived home from his Saturday morning shopping and stared at the young boy leaning against his apartment door. The kid looked a lot like him with spiky brown hair and black eyes, though his face was rounder and younger without the tired lines. He wore a knitted blue scarf, a long-sleeved yellow shirt, grey trousers and bright red canvas shoes, implying that he was middle-class.

The two stared at each other for a long moment before Zaku moved forward with his key. "Are you Konohamaru?" he asked wearily as the kid scrambled out of the way.

"Hai. Are you Zaku?"

"Hai."

"Is that your shopping?"

"Hai." He opened the door and moved inside, dropping his schoolbag on the bench and unpacking all the food. "No, you can't have any. It's hard enough feeding myself."

"Where's your hahaoya?"

Zaku quickly formed a practiced lie. "She's at work. She always eats out so I mainly cook for myself."

"Why's there only one bed?"

What a nosy kid. "The couch folds out but… the sheets are in the wash." He shoved the milk in the fridge and slammed it shut, moving onto the pantry. If Konohamaru was going to keep asking questions it didn't matter how much Zaku liked his old neighbour. "How old are you kid?"

"I'm four."

"How old am I?"

"You look about twenty."

His eyebrows disappeared under his headband. "I'm fourteen kid, though I'm flattered you think I'm older."

"Well you can't be as old as chichi so you have to be younger than thirty." Konohamaru beamed widely, revealing a chipped front tooth. "What games do you play?"

"Um, well I don't really play games. On Saturday's I do the shopping and cleaning and I work in the afternoons and I work all day Sunday so there's not really time for games." The kid would learn that when he was older.

"No way! So you don't watch any anime? Or play video games?"

"Do you see a TV around here?"

"No…"

He hesitated. "Well, there's a big yard outside. I'm sure we can think of something." A long moment passed in which Zaku scratched the back of his neck, pondering what could be done. How could he entertain a four-year-old boy? He was out of practice with the whole entertaining aspect of life. Maybe if… "You play an instrument?"

"Nope. Chichi says I'm not big enough to handle an instruments." True, the boy was incredibly small.

"Not all instruments are big. There are quite a few small ones like reed pipes. I work at the music shop if you want to go and take a look."

"I'd have to ask." Konohamaru darted from the apartment and practically screamed at Sarutobi, "Can I go to the music shop? Please?!" Zaku didn't hear the old man's response but it didn't really matter since he was in his bedroom anyway, tucking his schoolbag into the bottom of the wardrobe amongst his hidden jars of money. "He said hai! I can go!" Konohamaru appeared in the doorway, grinning, and grabbed Zaku's hand in preparation for dragging him from the apartment.

"Hey!" Zaku yelped, wrenching his arm back. "Don't squeeze so tight. That hurt."

The little kid grinned like a demon. "Sorry about that." He didn't look sorry. Not one bit. "Can we go to the music shop now?"

Zaku glared at the obnoxious boy irritably. "What's the magic word?"

" _Please_."

"Let's go."

They paused at the door to pull on their shoes and made their way down a flight of concrete stairs and out the heavy glass doors. Konohamaru ran in front of Zaku (did he know where they were going?) and stopped and looked back in confusion.

"Come on slowpoke!"

Zaku suddenly remembered a small ten-year-old boy running along these paths with a backpack slipping off his shoulders. He blinked to dispel the image and gazed over at the excited Konohamaru, seeing a similar energy inside him. The older boy grinned.

"Let's race."

He shot forward, arms pumping and legs straining. Konohamaru yelled in shock before tearing after him, his little legs working fast to keep up with his senior. Zaku began to laugh as the cool morning wind whipped at his face, hair and clothes, peppering his skin with icicles. This was freedom. This was wonderful.

With Konohamaru trailing behind, Zaku made sure to look both sides before running across the street and waited at the other side for the other boy to catch up. They were panting heavily when they reached the two blocks of shops and Konohamaru's eyes were wide with delight.

"This is awesome!" he exclaimed.

"Haven't you – uh, ugh – ever been to the… the shops?"

"Hahaoya never takes me. She says I'll get lost."

"O-okay… ugh… well, the music building is the blue one."

"What's the red one?"

"The butchers."

"The green one?"

"The grocery."

"The yellow one?"

"The bakery."

"The pink one?"

"The coffee shop."

"The orange one?"

"The clothes shop."

"The purple one?"

"The general store."

"The red and white one?"

"The post office."

"The maroon one?"

"The bookshop."

"The yellow and green one?"

"The sushi shop."

Konohamaru jumped up and down excitedly. "Can we get sushi? Can we?"

"No! I… don't have a lot of money." Zaku clapped the boy's back. "We're here to look at music. Come on." He led his companion past all the shops, underneath the front arches, and pushed through the glass door to the music shop. Suigetsu was manning the counter.

"Morning Zaku. Who's your friend?" He eyed the young boy strangely.

"This is Konohamaru. He's my neighbour's grandson."

"Hello!" The scarf-clad boy waved cheerily until a set of bongos caught his attention. "Cool!" He rushed over and sat down cross-legged with the bongos in his lap, banging away at the surface.

Suigetsu glared at his employee. "I'm not running a kindergarten. Get the kid out of here."

Zaku shook his head. "It's just for a little bit, I need to entertain him just for the morning and I'll still be here this afternoon." He shot his boss a pleading look. "Please, Suigetsu. It's just for today. I'll make sure he doesn't break anything."

The blue-haired man suddenly snickered. "He better not or it's coming from your pay." That turned Zaku's face white. "Thought so. Keep an eye on him."

"Okay." He joined Konohamaru numbly. "Hey kid," he said softly, "I need to ask you a favour."

"Hai?"

"Please be gentle with all the instruments or… you'll grow smaller with everything you break." Hopefully that did the trick. Zaku couldn't afford to lose any money otherwise he wouldn't be able to pay the fortnightly bills and get kicked out of his apartment.

Konohamaru's eyes widened. "Okay. I'll be extra careful." He gingerly lowered the bongos and slid them along the floor to where they'd originally sat.

"Um…" What could they do now? There was sushi… Zaku grabbed out his wallet and checked the coins inside. He might have just enough for a plate and that should keep the boy busy for a little while. "How does sushi sound?"

"Sushi!" The boy leapt to his feet and tried to drag Zaku from the shop, only to fall hard when Zaku proved heavier than he looked. Grinning, the teenager stood and bent down, prompting Konohamaru to leap onto his back. He piggybacked the younger boy from _Oto Music_ to Kohona's Grand Sushi Bar feeling happier than he'd been in a long time. There was something about this boy's energy that cheered up the pessimistic teenager.

The sushi chef glanced up as the two boys moved under the curtain-like flaps and took their seats. Konohamaru couldn't sit still and wouldn't stop chattering about how delicious sushi was, while Zaku selected the menu and peered at the cheapest options.

"How does the sake nigiri sound?" Zaku asked, showing Konohamaru the picture.

"Salmon!" he cried excitedly. "Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!"

"Okay…" The senior smiled at the sushi chef. "One sake nigiri please." He watched as the chef expertly sliced a beautiful pink salmon fillet and used the fillet to cover a small roll of rice, tying the two together with a strand of seaweed. Four were made and the plate was placed in front of Konohamaru.

"Oh hai!" He grabbed his chopsticks and picked up the first piece, opening his mouth wide. Zaku had looked away, unable to watch that beautiful sushi disappear, and was surprised when the piece was shoved in his face.

"What?" he jumped in alarm, raising a hand to swat the sushi away.

"Eat up!" Konohamaru thrust the sushi at his nose, prompting Zaku to snatch the piece from between the chopsticks. "There. Now that's all you're getting. The rest is mine." The boy dug in and Zaku chewed absently, eyes resting on the kid that looked similar to him.

Something about that kid reminded Zaku of what it was like to be a kid himself. Such a light personality made the world seem… better. His attention turned to the two teenagers that had been attempting to befriend him for a week and he couldn't sense that same carefree personality from either of them. However they had honest attitudes and guileless behaviour. Zaku cursed Konohamaru before smiling widely. Who knew what a day with an optimistic young boy could do to his attitude?

o.O.o

"I trust Konohamaru wasn't any trouble," old Sarutobi said as Zaku and Konohamaru entered his apartment.

"He was fine. We took a look at the music shop and I got him some sushi."

Sarutobi heaved himself off the couch and crossed to the kitchen, its layout identical to Zaku's. An old jam jar of loose coins was tucked in the corner and Sarutobi reached inside, plucking ¥100 and hobbling back over to Zaku with his hand outstretched. "For your troubles," the old man said simply.

Zaku waved his hand and stepped back. "I don't want your money. Watching Konohamaru was my decision and… a real eye-opener." He moved back further, a smile sneaking onto his face. "Thanks, but no thanks. Konohamaru, I'll see you around."

"Bye Zaku!" the young boy chirped, waving happily. Zaku glanced at old Sarutobi's confused faced and backed from the apartment, closing the door behind him. He stood in the hallway and cursed.

"Dammit I haven't done the washing!"

He rushed into his apartment and tore off his jacket, t-shirt and jeans, replacing them with a knitted jumper and another pair of jeans. The jumper was very thick, warm and beige-coloured with the kanji for 'death' knitted down the front in red. While the kanji might unnerve him, the jumper had been free and he'd jumped at the chance.

Grasping his clothes, several pairs of socks and underwear, he darted downstairs to the darkened basement and shoved everything into one of the machines. It was easily midday and he had three hours before work so this needed to get done. On Saturday's he worked from three to seven o'clock at night and on Sunday's his shift was twelve hours long, beginning at seven and finishing at seven. A full fifteen hours of boredom at the music shop, but at least he had his music and got paid.

As Zaku waited for his clothes to be washed, he cleaned the apartment and cut up vegetables for dinner. After this he had work to look forward to. Yay.


	5. Chapter 4

I've always wanted to write Sasuke as a jerk, and I finally can! Of all the stories I've written for FanFiction this is hands-down my favourite.

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 4**

As a Hospitality student, Zaku had an entire double on Tuesday morning to cook a selected recipe with the rest of his class. This was their first time cooking and the class recipe was chicken stir-fry.

Zaku eyed the sizzling mixture nervously, praying it wouldn't spit oil on him (which happened on occasion). He warily swirled the vegetable/noodle mix around the frying pan, careful not to nudge the boy using the stovetop beside him. A clear plastic container rested on the bench behind him and, judging that his food was ready, he switched off the stovetop, took hold of the handle and tipped the food into the rectangular shape.

One bonus about going to a public school: the cooking ingredients were paid for by the school and cost nothing for the students. If that wasn't the case, Zaku wouldn't have picked Hospitality as an elective.

The teacher, Anko Mitarashi, appeared behind Zaku to examine his finished work. "Looks good Zaku. You're showing some real skill."

"I cook at home all the time," he said quickly, carrying his frying pan and wooden spoon over to the sink and dumped them inside the metal tub. He had to put his food in the fridge before worrying about washing up. The aroma of the stir-fry was absolutely divine as he bent over the container, sniffing deeply.

"Mmm," he murmured, lifting the container with a hand on either side. He moved across the cooking room excitedly in the direction of the container's lid. That was dinner for tonight sorted!

He ran into someone. Stir-fry flew everywhere. It splattered all over her front. The chopping board of capsicum slices in her hands joined the stir-fry in sliding down her apron and falling onto her shoes.

Sakura Haruno stared at Zaku in horror, a noodle hanging from her chin. Zaku in turn stared at her, upset that his dinner was now being worn by some girl.

"You…" her lip wobbled. "Why would you do that?!"

"What's going on?" Great. The black-haired Sasuke Uchiha appeared behind her, eyes narrowed at the scene. "Seriously? You throw food on people?"

Zaku bristled indignantly. " _She_ ran into _me_ and now my dinner's ruined, so thanks!" He'd always been quick to anger.

"You little…" Sasuke growled and shoved Zaku back, sending the empty container clattering to the ground. Sakura squeaked in alarm and tugged on Sasuke's shirt half-heartedly, though Zaku could tell she wanted Sasuke to hit him.

"ALRIGHT BREAK IT UP!" Anko marched over and stood between the boys, glaring. "Since you're both so eager to work together, you're on washing up duty all morning tea."

"But-" Sasuke began.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't care who your brother is. Fighting at school is unacceptable, especially without provocation. Now GET TO THE SINK!"

Zaku scooped up his container and rushed away from the terrifying Hospitality teacher, Sasuke hot on his heels. There were two sinks, thankfully, and they huffed before manning either one. The other students, seeing that someone else was washing up, were quick to dump their things beside the sink and back away to eat their finished dish.

The brown-haired boy was fuming. He glared at Sakura through the corner of his eye as Anko used a cloth to wipe down her face and clothes. That girl had cost him his dinner and he should hate her but instead he was just annoyed at losing his food. She hadn't run into him on _purpose_ and the food had gone all over _her_. He couldn't blame her for his inattention.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had been a world-class jerk over it which was completely uncalled for. Sure Sakura had food all over her but it was an accident and Sasuke didn't need to attack anyone over a bit of food. It was common knowledge that he didn't get along with his group, Naruto and Sakura, so there really was no reason for him to jump to the girls 'defence'. Unless he was just looking for an excuse to hit Zaku but they'd never spoken before so that wasn't possible. If Sasuke was anything like his cousin then he was calm, collected and extremely patient, but he was nothing like Sai. Zaku found himself wanting the artistic boy in his class rather than this hot-headed piece of-

The bell blared, interrupting his thoughts, and Zaku began to scrub a saucepan with practiced hands. His pile was much smaller than Sasuke's as it was clear the other boy had probably never washed up in his life. Anko move behind the Uchiha and examined his clumsy work.

"You call that washing up?" she demanded loudly, causing Sasuke to whip around and glare. Zaku quickly looked back at his frying pan and wiped the rest of the gunk off the inside, adding it to the rack of clean equipment.

"Hai," Sasuke replied, seemingly a great deal calmer than before. His eyes flicked to the back of Zaku's head. "I happen to have little experience in washing dishes."

"Maybe I should give you some experience." Anko snapped her fingers for effect. "Every Tuesday at morning tea for the next term the pair of you will stay behind to wash up. Got that?"

"Hai," the boy chorused.

"Good." She turned and wandered around the cooking room, grabbing a broom on the way and beginning to sweep. Zaku washed the equipment faster, wanting to get out before morning tea finished otherwise he'd be late for double Humanities and Zabuza Momochi would kill him. At least he didn't have to go through the 'I got detention' conversation with his parents.

He finished his pile seconds before the bell rang and threw his apron in the washing basket before running from the cooking room, leaving behind Sasuke with half his original pile. Students milled around the school grounds as he ran to the opposite side of the school to his locker outside the literacy classroom. Several of his classmates were also at their lockers, frantically grabbing books so they wouldn't be late for Humanities.

Last week Naruto and Kiba were late by ten seconds. Zabuza glared at them, his handsome face transforming into an evil one, and told them icily to sit down. The entire class had fallen silent and after that the girls didn't think he was attractive. He really wasn't a cheerful teacher and liked intimidating his students which meant Zaku had to be early to every single Humanities class.

He entered right behind Choji, squeezing around the other boys considerable bulk to sit down. Zabuza wasn't there yet. Phew. He relaxed into his seat and opened his notebook to the Humanities section, which was currently overflowing with notes and other important information. The teacher saw fit to bombard them with as much information as possible in the first week even though the exam on the French Revolution was in ten weeks.

Dosu and Kin joined Zaku at their table at the middle-left. "Where were you?" Dosu asked, blue eyes appraising Zaku from within his bandages. What was beneath them?

"Detention," Zaku muttered. "Me and Sasuke got into an altercation."

"Wow, Zaku using big words." Kin smirked and Zaku snorted.

"I can use big words. Anyway, I spilt my cooking all over Sakura and he got pissed so hai. We basically got put on washing up duty for the rest of the term." He trailed off with the last few words as Zabuza had entered the room, bringing with him an aura of anger. Zabuza's eyes swept the class and fixed on the single empty seat where Sasuke should be sitting.

The boy in question entered and marched straight up to Zabuza's desk, handing the teacher a note. Dark eyes scanned the piece of paper and he nodded briefly, after which Sasuke silently took his seat, gaze flicking over to Zaku and narrowing. Zaku didn't flinch at the death-glare. He'd faced many of those without flinching and he wasn't about to start now.

Zabuza turned his attention to the class. "Today we'll be covering the beginning of Napoleons campaign and how he took advantage of the weak leadership to assume control of the French army and its allies. Be prepared to take notes." Everyone fumbled around for their equipment while he plugged the laptop into a SmartBoard. There was one in every room but the cooking one.

 _Napoleons Campaign_ , Zaku wrote at the top of his page. Kin and Dosu copied his title and focused completely on the teacher as he opened up a PowerPoint presentation. Each slide looked to be completely filled with words and an inaudible groan rippled through the class, which Zabuza thankfully didn't detect. It was said that as a reward for good behaviour Zabuza put nothing but pictures on a PowerPoint for a whole lesson and every class vied for that honour.

Class finished with a prodigious amount of sore hands and brain overloads. Zaku packed his books away and walked to the lockers with Kin and Dosu. "So what did you two have this morning?" he asked boredly.

"Business," Dosu replied.

"Art," Kin sighed. "You obviously had Hospitality."

They all glanced to the left when Sasuke stormed past and Zaku stared at the ground in discomfort. Sasuke's family was very influential and if word got out about their disagreement his powerful parents could force Zaku to drop his scholarship. This was exactly what he was hoping to avoid in high school as the scholarship was his only chance at any kind of decent life. However he refused to get on his knees and beg. If Sasuke told his parents then so be it. Zaku would work at _Oto Music_ for the rest of his life and never go anywhere and it would suck…

Dosu nudged him, sensing his foul mood. "Hey, you fancy going out for ramen tonight? I know a little place on the other side of town."

"I have work from three to seven," Zaku replied shortly.

"Come after work. It's my shout."

The offer was very tempting. Free dinner in exchange for spending time with the only two people in the world who didn't completely annoy him (other than Sarutobi, Konohamaru, Jiraiya…). He shrugged. "Why not? Where is it?"

"Hm." Kin tilted her head. "Hey Dosu, why don't we meet up with Zaku after he finishes work and we walk across town?"

"Sounds good." The bandaged boy tilted his head at the other as they reached the lockers. "Zaku?"

He sighed. "Okay… I work at _Oto Music_."

"Hey I like that place!" Kin exclaimed. "I got my new keyboard there over the holidays."

Dosu glanced at her in surprise. "I got my drums there years ago."

"No way." Zaku stared between the two of them. "You both actually play instruments? Monday wasn't a fluke?"

They stared back. "Uh, hai we play instruments." Kin tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear before working on her locker combination. "How long have you played guitar?"

"Since I was ten after hahaoya-" He paused for a split second, "-bought me my first one." For some reason lying to them made him feel guilty. "Dosu?"

"Man, I've been on the drums since early primary school. I don't know exactly when I started but it's the only thing I do that doesn't annoy hahaoya." He could have pulled a face and the others wouldn't know.

Zaku pushed his books away and extracted his sandwich and uneaten apple, locking the locker behind him. "Kin?"

"Actually I only got into the keyboard last year. I do a bit of singing too but not a lot… I don't have the best voice like that American girl… Taylor Swift I think?"

"Who's Taylor Swift?" Zaku asked.

She sighed as they moved off to their spot underneath the music room. "She's an American singer with a great voice and a pretty face."

"I think I know her," Dosu said absently. "She's blonde?"

Zaku glanced between them. "Who the hell are you talking about?"

"He's hopeless," Kin muttered to Dosu.

"Just because I don't have internet or television…" Zaku broke off hurriedly. Why was he letting his guard down so easily? He had to be more careful.

"No internet or television?" Kin demanded. "How do you do your assignments?!"

He lowered his head and sat down in the furthest corner of their little alcove. "The last class of every day is study." There, he said it. They had to be satisfied with that. "We're not the wealthiest okay. That's why I work so much." The lies kept on piling up and he feared that they would come back to bite him, but there was no use worrying about it. Just like there was no use worrying about that stupid Sasuke.

Dosu shrugged and tucked into his rice balls. "Hahaoya and I are in the same boat. I walk dogs to earn a little money on the side. Eko loves it."

Something tugged at Zaku's hidden emotions as the conversation continued. Happiness… contentment… it all came flooding out in a single unique moment that nearly winded him and he cursed. These two teenagers with their stupid persistence had broken through all his walls despite his efforts to stop them. Were they… friends? A sudden ache formed in his chest as his eyes rested on the pair – a rich girl and middle-class boy. Damn them.

o.O.o

Zaku continued to stare at the clock, noting he had ten minutes to go before closing up. He would never admit to the anticipation bubbling in his belly as time ticked on, especially to the quiet Uchiha sitting beside him. Sai was completely focused on his sketch of a pretty blonde girl.

"You okay to lock up?" Zaku asked finally, taking out his earphones.

Sai glanced up in surprise. "Uh… sure. Somewhere to be?"

"Hai."

"Have fun." The Uchiha returned his attention to the sketch and Zaku looped an arm through his schoolbag and grabbed his skateboard before pushing through the swaying glass door. His eyes immediately picked out Dosu and Kin standing in the gloom and he instinctively tugged at the hem of his camo hoodie as a chill ran along his skin. It was always colder at night in this time of year, even without snow.

"Nice to see you finally show your face," Kin commented. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he saw that they were both resting against bikes. He dropped his skateboard and rolled the rest of the way, crossing the road to come level with them.

"Let's just go," he sighed. They clambered onto their bikes and set off with Dosu leading the way. Zaku was secretly glad that Kin had brought a torch as the streetlamps didn't provide much light.

"How far into town is the ramen shop?" Kin asked.

"Ichiraku Ramen. It's not too far, maybe twenty minutes on a bike if we go really fast."

"The grounds a bit damp so I'm not going fast," the girl said firmly. "Didn't you notice the rain before?"

"Nope," Zaku and Dosu chorused. The dark-haired boy noticed with some bitterness that the other two were wound up in warm jumpers and scarves while he wore only his most basic attire. Not that he would complain.

They rode the rest of the way in silence, focusing on the cool air pinching their faces. Zaku felt like ice when they entered a busier past of town and Dosu asked that they dismount and walk the rest of the way as there was an increased chance of running into someone. Fair enough. A shiver ran up his spine and he quelled the urge to shake slightly.

"Just here," Dosu announced. They rested their transportation beside the ramen shop and moved under the curtain-like flaps to sit down at the stools. The shop was empty except for them and one other girl and Zaku gazed at the sign above the counter proudly declaring 'Ichiraku Ramen'. He moved to the other side of Kin and sat somewhat nervously, as it'd been some time since he'd last visited this part of town. A moment passed and he slid off his schoolbag and tucked it under his feet.

"Hey guys, what'll it… be?"

Zaku looked up in alarm at the familiar voice and stared into a pair of bright blue eyes. " _Naruto_?" He gaped.

The blonde boy wore a clean white apron over his clothes and a white cap covered his hair. Naruto blinked and smiled. "Hey! Zaku isn't it? And Dosu and Kin? Fancy seeing you guys here! So what kind of ramen do you want?"

Dosu answered immediately. "I'd like a bowl of char sui pork but I'm not sure about them."

"Shoyu ramen please," Kin said politely. Zaku swiped the picture menu from her and instinctively picked the cheapest one.

"Miso looks good." He handed the menu back to Kin who tucked it back into its stand. "So you work here?"

"Yep!" Naruto replied cheerfully, jotting down their orders. "Teuchi Ichiraku gave me a job when I was little and I've been here ever since. Enjoy your ramen!" With that he slipped into the kitchen to talk to a rotund smiling man. Everyone was so damn cheerful. Zaku laid his elbows on the counter and rested on them as they waited for their ramen.

"So Zaku, about you not having internet…" Kin began hesitantly.

"Hai?"

"How are you going to do any research for your assignments?"

"I'll find a way."

"But- I mean- we do assignments as a group. I was thinking Dosu and I could do the research when we need it. How good at writing are you?"

He rolled his eyes. "I can write. How else do you think I got into school?"

"Um… the same way as everyone else." She gave him a 'duh' look. "Right?"

"Hai, pretty much. Sounds good." He looked away from the other teenagers and instead watched Naruto whip up their ramen. The blonde boy made ramen look like an art.

Dosu and Kin were having their own conversation while Zaku zoned out. "It's two nights right?" Kin asked.

"Hai, that's what the teacher said. The list says we need to bring swimmers and sunscreen so I'm thinking we'll be somewhere near a beach or maybe the place will have a pool. It'd be exciting if we actually did go to the beach; I've never been before."

"Why are we going to the beach?" Zaku interjected.

The bandaged boy rolled his eyes. "Genin camp, dummy. Have you handed in the ten-thousand yen fee?"

What ¥10,000 fee? "What are you talking about?"

"Genin camp is the coming Monday. You're going right?"

Zaku lowered his head in embarrassment. Of course, he remembered now. The entire Genin grade had two nights away from home to get to know each other and attempt to adjust further to high school life. It was something that only Kohona High did so and an extra fee needed to be paid for students to go. Teachers stressed that it was mandatory. Zaku wouldn't be able to attend because he couldn't afford it.

"No. I have to work."

"Screw work," Kin said fiercely, "you can take two days off!"

"I can't. I need to work these hours to support my hahaoya."

"But she's _always_ at work," Kin groaned. "You always say 'hahaoya is at work' and 'I need to run some errands for her because she's at work' so why the hell can't you take two days off work for a school camp?" The lack of answers from the boy greatly irritated her.

"Ramen is served!" Naruto announced, moving around the counter and placing three bowls in front of his classmates. "Kin, you sound like Sakura and that's not a good thing."

"Didn't you ask her out?" the girl retorted.

Naruto winced. "Don't remind me. I'm glad she said no because she's actually a bit nasty." He blinked. "Hey Zaku, didn't you spill food all over her in cooking class?"

"Don't remind me," the brunette echoed. "It was an accident. That stir-fry was my dinner but now this ramen is." He brought the bowl to his lips and sipped the scorching broth delicately. "Wow, this is good."

"One day I'll open my own ramen shop and you'll be eating the Namikaze special," Naruto said proudly. He jumped excitedly and nearly bumped into Dosu. "Hey-hey-hey are any of you guys part of the school committees?"

"What committees?" Dosu asked before digging enthusiastically into his ramen.

Naruto's explanation didn't make much sense but Zaku understood the basics. There were five committees: academic, arts, social action, environment and sports. Each group had a committee leader and each leader had a weird name.

Academic: Hokage.

Arts: Mizukage.

Social Action: Raikage.

Environment: Kazekage.

Sports: Tsuchikage.

It was weird but then again, at Kohona High freshmen were Genin, sophomores were Chuunin, juniors were Jounin and seniors were Kage. The school had their own way of doing things that set it apart from ANBU High.

"I'm gonna be Hokage!" Naruto declared. "You watch. I'll study hard and get the top marks and be the Hokage of the Academic committee!"

Kin grinned at the enthusiastic boy. "I heard we get to vote for the leaders. I'll vote for you."

"Sweet!" The blonde punched the air and beamed at his classmates. "Wow, you look like you enjoyed that ramen."

Zaku and Dosu's bowls were completely empty while Kin was slurping up the dregs. The ramen had been delicious. It made Zaku feel guilty relief that his stir-fry had ended up all over Sakura because the ramen had made up for it tenfold. Eating with Dosu and Kin wasn't ideal but he'd borne it.

"I should be getting home," Kin sighed. "Chichi doesn't want me out so late."

Naruto gathered their finished bowls and waved. "Good seeing you. Come again! Wait," he pulled three pieces of paper from his pocket, "seeing as you're potential customers take these vouchers. You have a month to exchange it for a free bowl of ramen." The trio chorused their thanks and accepted the vouchers.

"Bye Naruto," Dosu farewelled. The bandaged boy heaved himself up from his stool and tucked it under the counter. His companions followed and they left the shop. The streets weren't as busy at this late hour and the teenagers could actually ride through without worrying about running into someone. Zaku had had enough of company to last him for decades.

"I head off here," he said quickly, angling his skateboard away. Kin tried to grab his schoolbag but missed, freeing him to move away.

"We'll see you tomorrow!" she called almost miserably.

Zaku was confused and annoyed. He hadn't spent the last four years shunning people only for Dosu and Kin to squeeze their way into his life. They were doing a damn good job of it. He'd let his guard down too much and he knew he wouldn't be able to get it up again.


	6. Chapter 5

Props to Zaku for even trying! If I was in his situation and what happens in this chapter happened to me I'd probably freak out.

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 5**

Saturday morning was when Zaku's life changed forever. No warning. No nothing.

The shopping was done. The washing was on the line. The apartment was clean. The homework was finished. Zaku was energised, fully prepared for work in the afternoon and insanely happy that there was no school for the next three weekdays. He'd never been happier that there was a school camp.

He rested against the kitchen counter clad in jeans and his camo hoodie and strummed his guitar, completely focused on learning the riff to Metallica's _Blackened_. It was a tricky tune and one that he hadn't perfected yet. Next on the agenda was Eric Johnson's _Cliffs of Dover_.

Someone knocked on the door and he froze mid-note. No one ever knocked on his door. He set the guitar aside and stood slowly, moving suspiciously towards the offending door. It stared at him cruelly. His fingers fastened around the handle and he jerked it open, expecting Dosu or Kin because stalking was right up their alley. What he found made him speechless.

A basket sat outside his door – one of the plastic ones used when travelling with babies. Beside it was a bulging green carry-bag labelled 'Abumi'. His eyes skimmed right over the bag and rested on the child nestled within the basket. Dark eyes locked with his and the ball of chub reached up to him. As its arms moved he saw a letter resting by her side and, against all logic, he plucked it out and unfolded it.

 _Zaku,_

 _Say hello to your baby sister. She's six months old and has no name. She looks like you, doesn't she?_

 _I'm not a good hahaoya. She was in constant danger because of me and I just can't deal with a child in my line of work. She's making my life hard and my only option was to give her to you because I don't know who the chichi is._

 _You'll do a better job at raising her than I ever will. You're a responsible boy and you have courage and integrity. Maybe you can provide her with a better life? I know you can. I'm a bad person and you're not._

 _There's a woman having a garage sale down the road and she's selling a crib. I paid for it and you just have to go pick it up._

 _I'm sorry,_

 _Hahaoya._

His entire body was trembling as he finished the note. Rage and anguish filled every cell in his body and he struggled to control himself in front of the gurgling baby.

"You selfish woman," he growled. "You selfish, _selfish_ woman!"

How dare she?! How dare she mope and moan about how hard _her_ life was and how much she suffered because of her children! They were her _children_ and she _abandoned_ them! She abandoned Zaku to fend for himself and now she dumped this baby onto him! A baby as well as school and work? What the hell was she thinking?!

"I HATE YOU!" he screamed. He dived back into the ground and pressed his face into the carpet, letting out an anguished screech. His fists made contact with the soft floor and he pounded it with everything he had, expunging all the hate from his body.

His strikes gradually lessened and his breathing evened out. Several minutes passed and he simply laid there with tear tracks smudging his face. He eventually pulled himself to his feet and turned to face the baby again. The rage returned but its effect was lessened. This child – his sister – had been abandoned by their hahaoya too. They didn't deserve this…

Something moved in his peripheral vision. Old Sarutobi stuck his head into the hallway and glanced between the teenager and the baby.

"Zaku, what's the matter?" He hobbled forward and placed gentle hands on his neighbour's shoulders. Zaku wordlessly handed him the note and stared at the ground as Sarutobi's eyebrows nearly flew off his head.

"She abandoned her too," the brunette whispered. "It's not fair."

Sarutobi passed the note back to Zaku and grasped the handle of the plastic basket. He heaved upwards but wasn't strong enough to lift the baby. Zaku felt numb as he took over and dragged the basket and green carry-bag into his apartment. Sarutobi followed.

"What will you do?" the old man ventured.

"I don't have the money to support a baby… I barely scrape through on my own… I don't know…" Zaku collapsed on the leather couch and laid his head back. "I'm fourteen. I'm in high school. I work every other afternoon. I don't have time to take care of a baby! What job could hahaoya possibly have that puts her daughter in danger?"

Sarutobi sighed. "Zaku… your hahaoya has her reasons I'm sure. But what would happen to your sister? You may not have had the best childhood but that doesn't mean that she has to too."

"What? I don't get it."

"Let me rephrase that. You weren't the happiest of children. Do you want your sister to grow up happy or miserable?"

"I don't want anyone to have a childhood like mine. I started working when I was ten-years-old and never got the chance to play games and actually live." He was starting to see where this was going. If _he_ were to raise her…

"If you were to raise her you could give her the childhood you never had."

"But I don't know the first thing about raising a kid." That was the crux of the matter as far as Zaku was concerned. How could he be good to her if he had no idea where to start? "I have work at three."

Sarutobi bent down and slowly lifted the baby from the basket. "Firstly you should collect that crib mentioned in the letter. While you do that I will borrow some books on child-rearing from the library and some notebooks and pens. You will need to take notes."

"What… but…"

"You will need to name her too."

Zaku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll think of something. Can I… hold her?"

"She's your sister. Lift your arms like this and bend your elbows… hai like that." Sarutobi gently lowered the girl into her brother's arms. Zaku's breath hitched as her weight pressed against him and he instinctively shifted his grip so she was more comfortable. Her eyes, identical to his, swivelled to appraise him coolly. She seemed strangely… calm for a baby. Normally they would be screaming and writhing but she was peaceful. It was quite eerie.

"I'll go get the crib," he said quietly, mind reeling from everything that had just happened. He couldn't deny how scared he was at the prospect of raising his sister by himself. The whole thing was just… unthinkable. There was no other way to put it.

Terror. Shock. Dread. Fear.

Excitement. Anticipation. Hope.

The whirlwind of emotion rocked through his body as he exited the apartment with his sister pressed into his chest. Breathing suddenly became difficult and his steps faltered. A light pressure touched his chest and he looked down to see a tiny hand resting over his right lung. The tightness eased. Something reverberated deep inside him, this animalistic urge to protect and provide. Their eyes met and he didn't care how he was going to pay for her or what he was going to do when at school or work. She was his sister and he was officially responsible for her.

Sarutobi exited the apartment behind him and closed the door. Zaku pulled a key from his pocket and locked it before moving down the hallway with the old man in tow. They separated once they reached the street; Sarutobi for the library and Zaku for the garage sale.

A numbness settled throughout his body as he walked down the street. His sister wriggled slightly in his arms and exhaled with a light squeaking sound. It was quite cute. He saw the garage sale from half a street away, made obvious by the piles of furniture and browsing people, and quickened his pace. He didn't know why he moved faster. Maybe, somewhere deep in his subconscious, he wanted hahaoya to be there. Maybe he wanted her to apologise. Maybe he wanted her to be a proper hahaoya and provide for her children. She shouldn't have dumped a baby on her teenage son, he knew that. There was a slim chance he'd be able to juggle a child with his already full schedule.

The crib was sitting right at the edge of all the furniture. Zaku strolled right up to it and touched the side. Collapsible plastic edges with a material wrapped around the entire length, a square plastic floor and a soft foam mattress.

A woman approached him. "Can I help you?"

"Hai," he replied immediately. "I'm here to collect a crib."

"Oh… you must be the son! Your hahaoya said you'd be here to pick it up."

His heart burned at her words. "That's right. Can I take it now?"

"Hai, just let me show you how to fold it up correctly." The woman stepped up to the crib and began to disengage some poles and lay the edges down. "What's her name? The baby?"

"I haven't chosen one yet." He fixed his gaze on the crib and filed the woman's movements away in his memory. "She's been living with hahaoya and I live with chichi. Hahaoya wanted me to pick the name when I finally met her." The lies came as easy as ever. "Now that I've met her I can pick a name."

"Well she's very cute." She finished folding the crib and moved back. "Enjoy your crib."

"Thank you." Zaku bent down and tucked it under his arm, startled at how light it was. He held his sister securely in his other arm as he turned his back on the garage sale and went right back to his apartment.

The first thing he did was set up the crib at the foot of his bed and go through the green carry-bag. He found sheets, nappies, bottles, clothes, powdered milk and everything baby-related. He gathered the blue-checked sheets and made up the crib in seconds – it was exactly like making his own bed except he lowered the mattress into the crib. Next he sorted out the rest of her things and put everything in their correct cupboards: bottles in the kitchen, nappies in the bathroom and clothes in the wardrobe.

Everything was sorted now. He turned around and stared at his sister, fast asleep on the couch. His feet moved of their own accord and he lowered himself beside her. One hand moved down to stroke her face and she gurgled at the touch. Her own hand fluttered in her sleep and moved up to grasp his finger. She brought his finger down and fastened her mouth around it to suckle. Something crumpled inside him.

"I will give you love," he whispered. "I will give you everything that I never had. Love, attention… someone to come home to." He sucked in a shaky breath and closed his eyes as tears threatened to fall. There were no words to explain how he felt right now and he didn't want to find the words.

The front door creaked open and Sarutobi entered with his arms full of books. His dark eyes quickly took in the baby wrapped around Zaku's hand. "I borrowed three different books and bought a notebook and pen. Will you have time to take any notes during the week?"

Zaku remembered something important. "The whole grade is on camp from Monday to Wednesday and I'm not going. I'll have plenty of time to research and get used to having a baby." Excitement bubbled at the base of his stomach. If he did this right he would have survived the ultimate test anyone would face: parenthood.

"That's good. Have you decided on a name?"

"Not yet. I might dig around for a bit before deciding." His body sunk into the couch as he relaxed. "Thank you Sarutobi. I owe you. We both do."

The old man smiled. "I merely paid you back for taking care of Konohamaru last week. I'll leave you to your study and if you ever need anything don't hesitate to ask." He disappeared before Zaku opened his mouth to thank him again.

The boy turned to the gurgling baby. "What will I call you?" he murmured softly. His gaze roamed the joint kitchen and living room before fixating on his guitar. "Music… song…" A name was hovering at the edge of his mind but he couldn't quite grasp it. "I'll figure it out later. Right now I have some study to do." With his free hand he grabbed the nearest book and opened it to the contents page.

o.O.o

She was barely awake as she drank warm milk from the bottle. It was Zaku's first attempt at feeding her and she didn't seem bothered so hopefully he'd done a good job. His little sister had spent the last few hours crawling around on the carpet and chewing on her shirt sleeve and she was now very tired and hungry. Zaku had followed the books instructions and made up a bottle of warm milk which she was now enjoying.

He checked his iPod screen. Fifteen minutes until work. Where would he put her? He wasn't going to dump her on old Sarutobi – the man had helped enough already – but he couldn't leave her here either.

Wait. If she was tired then maybe he could take her to the backroom at _Oto Music_ and let her sleep for the next few hours. His research indicated that six-month-olds usually slept throughout the night, had a nap mid-morning and another one mid-afternoon. It was mid-afternoon and she was getting ready for her afternoon nap. What luck!

She finished the bottle and he gently lowered her onto the couch before bustling around to get ready for work. All he did was grab an apple and pull on his shoes seeing as he had no work uniform.

"Well sweetie, you'll be coming to work with me today." He pulled a blanket from the green carry-bag and wrapped the baby tightly. She wriggled at the sudden constriction but didn't stir as Zaku held her to his chest and locked the apartment behind him. He skated to _Oto Music_ while holding her, hoping the entire time that he wouldn't fall.

The shop was deserted except for Sai who looked up as Zaku entered. He saw the bundle and froze. "Uh… what is that?"

"This is my sister," Zaku sighed. He approached Sai and held her out. "The nanny left and there's no one else to take care of her so I'll be bringing her into work."

"We don't have a playroom."

"I know but she's napping now and I'm sure she'll be fine in the backroom."

"If Suigetsu finds out you'll be fired."

It was a risk Zaku was willing to take. He moved through the instruments and into the darkened backroom. There weren't any particularly soft surfaces and he made a mental note to bring his schoolbag next time. An empty cardboard box sat near the door and he lowered the baby inside, arranging the blanket comfortably around her. He'd know if she woke up because she'd start crying.

Sai was waiting by the backroom door. "You're making a habit of bringing kids to the shop," the Uchiha stated.

Zaku glared at the wavy black locks. "So what? I don't have many options. Hey, how do you know about Konohamaru? You weren't here."

"Suigetsu told me last week. I didn't really think anything of it until just then."

He really didn't like the emotionless black-haired boy. Sai was too unfamiliar and unpredictable even though they'd worked together for a year. He just hoped the other boy could keep his mouth shut. Zaku grabbed the roster from under the front desk and signed in without thinking – he'd been at _Oto Music_ for nearly four years and signing in was always the least of his worries.

Sai stood in the middle of the shop hesitantly, as if debating whether or not to call Suigetsu or not. Then he shrugged and gently nudged the backroom door open. "She's really cute," he said. "How old is she?"

"Six months."

"What's her name?"

"She doesn't have one. I haven't found the right name for her yet so I just call her sweetie."

"Six months old and unnamed. What a tale."

"She has a name. I just don't know it yet." This lie was slightly harder than the one he'd told the lady who sold him the crib. He had to rely on Sai's uncaring attitude for it to work.

"Whatever."

The front door opened and a chichi and son entered. The young boy was bouncing excitedly beside his chichi and Zaku felt that familiar pang of longing, however it wasn't as strong as usual. It sent his thoughts into the backroom where his sister slept.

"Hey." He put the roster down and approached the pair with a smile on his face. "Is there something you're looking for?"

"Hai, I would like to buy my son a flute," the man replied.

"Of course. Our selection of flutes is over here…"

o.O.o

It was dark by the time he got home. The baby was wide awake and strange sobbing noises escaped her throat. She was hungry. He probably should have prepared a bottle before taking her to work. File that away for next time.

Tomorrow he worked twelve hours. What would he do then? There wasn't enough time to find a Day-care – he would have to do that on Monday (at least he had all day to find one).

Something clicked in his tired mind: Kohona Day-Care & Nursery. He passed it every day on his way to and from school so it was ideal and convenient. That was another mental tick of things he needed to do.

He yawned and locked the door behind him. His sister wriggled in his arms and he gently placed her on the ground. "Well sweetie we're home. I'll get you a bottle and-" A foul smell reached his nostrils. "No you didn't."

She blinked.

"You did."

She giggled.

"You _so_ did." He picked her up and held her against his hip as he filled a saucepan with water and put it on the stove. When that was warmer he'd use some to fix up a bottle and the rest would be for her bath. The smell was stronger now and he placed her back on the ground and ripped off her nappy. It wasn't a nappy he could pull from a packet but one of the reusable ones that needed to be washed. A towel held up by a safety pin. That's all it was. It was smudged with a gross yellowy substance and Zaku fought back a gag. His sister gurgled.

He washed out the nappy in the bathroom sink and hung it over the shower door temporarily. The water was warm and he poured most of it into the bathroom sink (which he cleaned first) in a makeshift bath. She was small enough and enjoyed curling up in the warm water. He scrubbed her clean and stopped her from collapsing face-first into the water.

Bath. Shower. Bottle. Laundry. By then it was too late to fix up a real meal so he poured some cereal and ate that while his sister dozed off on the couch. Wash up. Brush teeth. She was sleeping when he tucked her into the new cot.

He watched her sleep for a long moment. It hadn't even been a day and he already cared for her more than he'd cared for anyone. She was a vulnerable baby and as her brother he was sworn to protect her where hahaoya had failed. He was going to be good to her where hahaoya hadn't and give her the life she should have had. His chest ached as he crawled into bed.

Zaku was on the edge of sleep when it came to him. He bolted upright with wide eyes and nearly disturbed the sleeping child.

"Your name… your name is Utako Abumi, child of the song."


	7. Chapter 6

Here's to hoping that everyone had a wonderful Easter! Don't know about you, but I still have to start hooking into my chocolate.

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 6**

Crying. That's what woke Zaku at six o'clock on Thursday morning.

He groaned into his pillow and squeezed the material tightly. It was too early for this. He yanked the sheet away, yelped at the sudden cold and dived for his wardrobe. Once dressed in jeans and his hoodie, he rushed to the crib and pulled a writhing Utako into his arms. She stopped wriggling at his touch but continued to wail.

"Hey-hey-hey-sh-sh. It's okay sweetie." He rocked her from side-to-side. "Did you have a bad dream? Are you hungry?" She quietened at the word 'hungry'. "Hungry it is then." He kissed her forehead and took her to the kitchen, pausing to flick the switch. The sudden brightness blinded him and he pulled a face. Ow.

His research of babies had revealed that six-month-olds could eat solid foods. As a result, he'd stopped giving her bottles of milk and started giving her blended vegetable paste. Sarutobi didn't use his blender and was more than happy to lend it to the teenager.

He set her on the bench and grabbed a container of mush from the fridge and a spoon. "Open wide. The train's coming." Utako giggled as he brought the spoon closer to her mouth. She tended to play with him at first but she was fine after the first spoonful. He pushed it past her lips and she ate it quickly. "Good girl."

It took fifteen minutes for Utako to eat her fill. It left her drowsy and content but Zaku couldn't let her sleep until some of the food had been digested. He started to tickle her and she switched from tired to wide awake.

"Baba!" she squeaked. 'Baba' was the only word in her vocabulary. Possibly a baby version of 'brother'. At any rate it was all she'd say and Zaku's heart beat a little bit faster every time she did.

"You have Day-care today," he told her. "Excited?"

No reply.

"I'm sure you don't even know what's happening."

The Genin camp couldn't have happened at a better time. Three days off school meant that Zaku could fully adjust to having Utako in his life. He knew it wouldn't be easy juggling a baby with school, assignments and work but there wasn't anything he could do. Besides, if he survived this then he could survive anything stress-related.

He could imagine himself in the future as a boss of something. There would be a thousand jobs that would need doing and any other person would be overwhelmed. Not him. He would keep his calm and work through all the jobs methodically. People would ask, "How come you didn't freak out?" and he would reply with, "When I was fourteen I lived alone, went to school, worked six days a week and took care of my baby sister on my own. Nothing fazes me."

That was a good thought. And he wasn't alone anymore. That was a plus.

He kissed her forehead and took her back to bed, switching the light off. The jeans went off and he put Utako back in her crib. She yawned and fastened her hand around his pinkie finger.

"Baba…"

"I love you too."

o.O.o

Kohona Day-care and Nursery was loud when Zaku pushed through the heavy glass doors, Utako in his arms and schoolbag heavy on his back. He stared at the lilac walls and the shelves stuffed with toys and books and the beanbags and toys littering the floor. He stared at the toddlers who squealed and giggled in the large space.

A rather pretty woman with long black hair approached him with a smile. "Good morning."

"Morning."

"My name is Haku. I'm the boss person here. And you are?"

"Zaku Abumi. I'm here to drop off my sister Utako."

Haku smiled. "Is this your first time here?"

"Hai."

"Now I just need you to write down your details and provide a signature. Do you have an adult with you?"

"Hahaoya works and the Day-care is on my way to school so I'll be dropping Utako off and picking her up."

"Wonderful. If you'll follow me…"

Zaku followed the woman past all the delighted toddlers and to what looked to be the only administrative space in the whole Day-care. "I'll need you to sign in every time you drop her off and every time you pick her up. So I won't be seeing your parents?"

"No." Now the question he was dreading. "How much does it cost?"

Haku smiled. "We're government funded so you don't need to pay."

"That's a relief." Zaku rested Utako on his hip. "Is there a form or something?"

"Hai. Here's… here's a form and you just need to fill out your name and address and then sign it." Haku handed over a pen and Zaku jotted down his details on the paper provided. He signed at the bottom.

"What now?"

"I'll take you to the nursery. All babies are taken there for the day and I look after them." Haku led the pair to a quieter, dimmer room with soft yellow walls. A dozen cribs littered the space and most had babies tucked inside. Haku showed them to a free crib and Zaku reluctantly placed Utako inside. She squirmed and stared up at him. He shifted. He hadn't been apart from her since she'd appeared at his door and he wasn't sure if he liked the idea of leaving her at this place, no matter how nice it was.

"Will she be okay?"

"She will. We have a stellar reputation." Haku touched Zaku's arm and they left the nursery. He glanced back once and waved.

"Baba!" Utako called, waving back.

Zaku sighed as the door closed behind him. "I'll stop by after school to pick her up."

"She will receive the very best care we have. If you don't mind my asking, how old is she?"

"Six months."

"You have nothing to worry about," the woman assured him. Zaku turned his head sharply and she laughed. "Zaku, you're hardly the first brother to come in here and drop off a sibling. I've seen it all before."

He chuckled ruefully. "That obvious huh? It's just… she hasn't spent a day away from home before. We had a nanny but she quit, so Day-care is Utako's only option."

Haku nodded. "I understand."

Silence reigned for a few long moments. "Well I have to get so school."

"Right. Have fun. I'll see you this afternoon!"

Zaku was quick to leave the Day-care but took his time in going to school. Dosu and Kin were there and he was dreading the stories from Genin camp. He didn't care about Genin camp.

o.O.o

"Just because you got back from camp yesterday doesn't mean you can slack off today. You're still at school and I am still obligated to teach you. Listening is up to you." Iruka opened the Numeracy textbook and turned to the front board, proceeding to explain the math theory behind Pythagoras' Theorem.

Dosu and Kin had dark circles under their eyes. Actually, most of the class had them. Either they stayed up voluntarily or the teachers had some kind of night activities – Zaku was glad he'd stayed home in the first place. His eyes roamed the room curiously and halted on the table to the left. Naruto's blue eyes flicked over and the boys shared a concerned look as it was clear the blonde hadn't attended camp either, evidenced by the lack of tiredness.

Zaku's group members moved like zombies, barely listening and absently copying notes from the whiteboard. Their attitude slightly worried him and he opted to take thorough notes for when they were feeling better (his marks relied on theirs anyway). He totally didn't pity them. No way. Well, at least they weren't yammering on about Genin camp. His concern, no, annoyance for his group mates' situation was thankfully keeping his mind off Utako. It wasn't right to leave her in the hands of strangers all day but what choice did he have? He couldn't leave school, he couldn't leave her alone and he sure couldn't bring her to school.

The bell blared and Dosu and Kin jumped in alarm. Zaku shoved his book closed and didn't wait for them to follow suit, instead heading for his locker and morning tea. It took five minutes for them to join him underneath the music room and he said nothing at their presence.

"Sorry for being so quiet," Kin sighed. "We barely got any sleep the whole time. I was in a cabin with Sakura and Ino and they didn't shut up all night. Same with Dosu. He had Kiba and Neji and they wouldn't stop arguing."

"I'd expect arguing from Sasuke and Naruto, not Kiba and Neji."

"Kiba thought Neji was too uptight and Neji thought Kiba was a dog. They fought." Dosu's blue eyes were dull and his bandages seemed frayed. "I really envy you, Zaku. You got to stay home and do nothing for three days."

That was a lie. Those three days had been the most challenging he had ever experienced. "Not really." Their heads snapped towards him. Damn his big mouth!

"Are you okay?" Kin asked.

"I'm fine."

Dosu gestured for Kin to drop it. "So…" changing the subject, "you do know that all Genin groups are being called to the principal's office?"

Zaku blinked. "Huh?"

"That's part of the transition into high school and since we just had all those team-building activities at camp the school wants to know how we're doing. They told us before we went home from camp. Each group goes to see the principal and she asks questions about camp and stuff."

"Sounds fun."

"Not really. If I'm right, we'll be called up in fourth period."

"Science. Nice."

o.O.o

Orochimaru was easily the creepiest Science teacher in the history of the world. It was rumoured that his sister was the principal and he only had the job because of her. It was also rumoured that he was a convicted sexual criminal but that was unlikely, as a convicted sexual criminal would _never_ be allowed to work at a school. Zaku reasoned it was a dumb explanation for his creepy tendencies. Orochimaru would always stand far too close and his breath always stank.

"During our double on Wednesday in two weeks I will be separating you all into pairs of my choosing for a small science project," Orochimaru announced. "The project will span over classes for a week and you will be submitting your results the following Wednesday."

"What fun," Dosu whispered.

 ** _"_** ** _Would Dosu Kinuta, Zaku Abumi and Kin Tsuchi please report to the principal's office. Would Dosu Kinuta, Zaku Abumi and Kin Tsuchi please report to the principal's office."_**

Dosu's estimation was accurate. Two minutes after entering Science class, Shizune's voice sounded over the speaker and the three teenagers left the classroom immediately. The school was surprisingly barren when everyone was in class – it was strange that no one else was around. Their footsteps echoed when they moved under cover and Zaku's instincts told him to keep his eyes down. He wondered what it would be like at night and shuddered.

"So… what'll we say to the principal?" Dosu muttered.

"We'll answer her questions as they come." Kin rubbed her face and tucked a clump of stray hair behind her ear. "This isn't an interrogation."

They reached the administration block and approached the front desk. Shizune was obviously waiting for them and gestured to a door off to the side. Zaku took a deep breath as he knew who was behind that door.

Sure enough, Tsunade was perched behind her desk with sharp eyes appraising the trio. She rested her gaze on Kin first, then Dosu and finally Zaku. Her expressionless face quickly morphed into a smile and she gestured to the seats in front of her desk.

"Please, sit." They sat. "So you're one of Kakashi's groups."

"Hai," Dosu replied, even though it wasn't a question. He leant forward and kept his eyes firmly planted on her face.

"And how would you say you've been transitioning to high school? Is it easier than you thought? Harder?"

Kin took the lead with this question. "I think we're all finding it a little difficult. The group system is really great though, it's made it easier to bond especially with that first Literacy assignment."

"I agree with Kin," Dosu said, "though I do question the camp. I didn't find it very useful in group bonding."

Tsunade nodded. "Interesting. Zaku?"

"It's just another day for me." High school wasn't as important anymore, not with Utako to take care of.

"I'm sensing that there's more to your replies than you're telling me. What I'm trying to understand is what each individual student needs to reach their full potential. You're a group of bright young adults and we want you to succeed where life takes you."

This whole thing was ridiculous. Zaku fought the urge to shift in his seat and flicked his gaze to the window. Well, at least it was better than Science with creepy Orochimaru, but he wasn't being questioned in class. Tsunade was annoyingly persistent and he couldn't see why Jiraiya would want to marry her. Sure, she was pretty, but quite assertive and demanding.

Dosu nodded at her words. "I understand where you're coming from. But it's only been a few weeks and you can't expect us to be best friend buddy-buddies. The three of us didn't really know each other that well before high school and we're still having trouble opening up to one another." He was really good at talking to adults. "We'll get there, just give us some time."

"The high school atmosphere is really different from primary school," Kin agreed.

Tsunade rested her chin on her interlocked fingers and smiled. "I fully sympathise. The group system really works though. It wasn't around when I attended Kohona High and I found the transition difficult, but now it's slightly easier because you have people in class that you sit with." She lowered her voice. "It's always a challenge walking into a room and finding someone to sit with, trust me."

"I think we all know what that's like," Dosu assured her. He absently tugged at the edge of his bandages. "No one's called me a mummified freak since starting high school and that's a plus."

"No one's called me a rich girl," Kin sniggered. "Then again, no one calls Sasuke a rich boy either. They call him a di-"

"Okay, I get it." Tsunade held up a hand though she couldn't prevent the grin. "We have a wide range of students with different levels of wealth and the group system tries to accommodate all those levels. Think of Sasuke's group. He's wealthy, Sakura is middle-class and Naruto is on a scholarship. With your group, Kin is high-class, Dosu is middle-class and Zaku is on a scholarship. We try to vary it."

Kin turned to Zaku. "You're on a scholarship? Why didn't you tell us?"

His pride kicked in. "I don't need to tell you every tiny detail about my life. You guys just butt in and expect me to spill everything." He folded his arms and gripped the sleeves of his hoodie.

"Well we need some form of trust if we're going to be a group!" Kin cried.

"Kin, please calm down," Tsunade said. "But this is good. You're getting to know each other."

Zaku glared. "Right."

"That's enough hostility," Dosu snapped. "We've tried to be nothing but nice to you and all you've done is be nasty."

"You don't know anything about me." Or what he'd been through. They had no idea.

"And we won't know until you tell us." Kin rolled her eyes.

Tsunade clapped her hands. " _Okay_ , this has been an illuminating discussion. The bell's about to ring so I'd like to invite you to go back to class-"

Zaku lurched from his seat and stormed from the office. He seethed as he marched through the school to the Science rooms. None of them could see. It didn't matter if he told them, they wouldn't understand.

He moved around a corner and yelped as he nearly ran into a trio. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," was the automatic reply. He blinked and shifted uncomfortably as their eyes locked onto him. There was something about them that set him on edge. Maybe it was the tall, hulking boy with spiky black hair and a fleshy. Maybe it was the blonde girl wearing ripped skinny jeans and a crop top despite the cool weather. Maybe it was the smaller, pale boy with thick eyeliner, scruffy blood-red hair and a kanji tattoo on his forehead. Why wouldn't they make him uncomfortable?

"Scram," the hulking boy snapped. Zaku darted around them and ran the rest of the way to the Science rooms. Angry and shaken weren't the best combination, but he'd lost his steam. Maybe running into those freaky kids was a good thing.

The bell rang and his classmates were streaming from the Science rooms by the time he arrived. Zaku kept his eyes down and slipped past Ino to grab his books and run to his locker. Dosu and Kin weren't at their spot under the music room thankfully and Zaku was able to sit down with his apple and chow down.

Speak of the devil. The two people he really didn't want to see arrived and sat on either side of him. Zaku really should have stood and left but he didn't.

"I'm sorry for going off at you," Kin said finally. "It's just… I want to be friends with you. I really do. But I don't get why you keep on shunning us."

"Let's just say I have trust issues," Zaku snapped. He drew his arm back and threw his apple core as far away as he could. It disappeared into the trees.

Dosu watched Zaku fume for a long moment. He reached up and pressed a hand to his bandaged face. "What'll it take for you to trust us?"

"I don't know."

Kin sighed and wound her hair around a finger. "My chichi… he doesn't like that I go to Kohona High. He wanted me to go to ANBU. He only let me come here because Sasuke's here and he wants me to get close with Sasuke so Fugaku Uchiha will notice him and they can become business partners. He wasn't happy when I was put into a group of 'nobodies'-"

"Hey!"

"His words! Not mine! But he's trying to control my life and he wants me to be a traditional bride instead of a strong woman."

"Whoa, so he wants to sell you off to some random so you can cook and clean for your husband?" Dosu gaped. "He doesn't want you to have your own job or own life?"

"Hahaoya is trying to talk some sense into him but he never listens. I don't even get why she married him anyway!" Kin was getting angry and it cheered Zaku up to see someone else angry. "He's a misogynistic jerk and he never takes our feelings into account."

Dosu snorted. "I get it. You have chichi-issues. Well you haven't met my hahaoya. She gets drunk every night and there's an endless stream of men parading through the house all the time!" He waved his hands as if it demonstrated his point. "I wish I'd known my chichi but there's every chance he was one of those stupid men. The way they look at me… some of them call me a _monster_. I can't help if I was born disfigured." He gripped the bandages and tugged a knot on the side. They fell away and Kin and Zaku stared.

A red rash coated half of Dosu's face, curling over his cheek and rimming his left eye. Yellow spots dotted his jawline and the skin of his left cheek looked quite thin compared to his right one. Almost… paper-like.

Zaku couldn't tear his eyes away from Dosu's infection. Sadness. Pity. Shock. Confusion. "Why haven't you had surgery or something?"

"It's too expensive for hahaoya's salary. She prefers to spend money on sake and she makes me pay for appointments at the hospital. I need annual check-ups to make sure nothing life-threatening happens." He looked away and started winding the bandage back around his head. "So now you know. I'm a freak."

 _Ba boom. Ba boom. Ba boom._ The pounding of Zaku's heart filled his ears and he couldn't believe he was about to say this. "You're not a freak. Stuff happens." Blood rushed to his head and he knew his face resembled a tomato.

Dosu shifted as he tied off his bandage. "No need to blush. But… thanks."

Every wall Zaku had ever built was completely stripped away. That morning after dropping Utako at the Day-care an ache formed in his chest. It hurt even more now. His stomach churned. "I'm on a scholarship because… I live alone."

"Zaku…" Kin whispered.

"I know nothing about my chichi. Hahaoya never mentioned him. When I was ten, hahaoya left one night and never came back. I've lived alone since and the reason I work so much is because I need money to keep my apartment." Should he go all the way? What the hell, he'd already spilled the beans so he might as well spill the rest. "On Saturday I heard from hahaoya for the first time since she left. I opened the door and found a baby in a basket. She's my half-sister and I called her Utako. I've spent the last few days learning how to take care of a baby as well as juggling schoolwork, work and housework. Now can you see? You don't know anything about me."

"We know everything." Kin ducked her head and continued to fidget with her hair. "Dosu and I have issues with our parents too. You have problems with abandonment, he has problems with neglect and I have problems with control. We _get_ you. We can help you. We can be your family."

His time of weakness was over. "We'll have to see. As you can probably guess, I have trust issues. A lot more than trust issues. Hell, my issues have issues." The bell blared. "Saved by the bell! I'll see you in Humanities!" He stood and left Dosu and Kin sitting under the music room.

Even though his deepest secrets had been revealed (something he never wanted to happen), he felt lighter than he had in years.


	8. Chapter 7

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 7**

Utako was so warm in his arms. She was a little bundle of sleepiness and he gently tugged the blanket around to cover her face. Zaku paused at the road, looked left and right, and crossed over. His breath misted in front of his face and he shaped his lips so it looked like he was exhaling cigarette smoke. Psh, as if he'd actually try smoking. He couldn't afford cigarettes and he didn't want to expose Utako to them anyway.

"Day two," he murmured. "What do you think about that? Do you even like Day-care?"

He really needed to stop speaking to her like she was a dog. Utako coughed and a bit of vomit speckled her lips. Wonderful… He tilted her on her side and a stream of liquid trickled onto the path. When the trickle finished, he wiped her face and rearranged her position in his arms. She'd be hungry in an hour now.

They arrived at the Day-care and Zaku manoeuvred past the noisy toddlers to the nursery section which was much quieter. Haku bent over one of the cribs with a bottle and looked up as Zaku entered.

"Good morning," she whispered. "How's the little one?"

"She vomited on the way here so she'll be hungry soon." Zaku laid Utako down and kissed her forehead. "Have a good day sweetie. I'll be back after school to pick you up." He waved farewell to Haku and made sure to sign the Nursery book before heading to school.

o.O.o

Dubstep instrumentals blared in Zaku's ears as he walked into his last class of the week: Humanities. After Humanities he had study and after that he would pick up Utako from Day-care and go to karate. Then spend the rest of the night relaxing after a tough week.

Dosu and Kin were already at the desk. They'd had a Numeracy lunchtime tutorial and Zaku had eaten alone for the first time that year, which actually felt kind of strange now that he thought about it.

Kin's mouth moved but no sounds came out. Zaku pulled out an earphone. "What?"

"I asked how your alone time was." She rolled her eyes.

"Absolutely gripping. I could eat my sandwich in peace." He put the earphone back in and noted that two of the new kids had earphones too.

That morning Iruka introduced the class to three new students – two boys and a girl. It enabled Zaku to put names to the faces of the three teenagers he'd bumped into the day before. The girl, Temari, was the oldest. Kankuro was the boy with brown hair and Gaara the redhead. Their last name was Sabaku and they were all… siblings? Kin had whispered that their chichi, Rasa Sabaku, was the head of Kohona's electrical plant and incredibly wealthy. His wife, Karura Sabaku, died in childbirth more than a decade ago and after she died, two of Rasa's affairs came forward with babies and dumped them on him. Gaara was rumoured to be the only legitimate child, while Temari and Kankuro were the results of numerous affairs that had ceased when Karura said she was pregnant. If all that was true, Rasa was a scoundrel.

Keeping in with the theme of group work, the three Sabaku siblings were put into a group and they sat behind Zaku, Dosu and Kin. They made everyone uncomfortable except for Naruto, who was sitting on the desk and attempting to talk to Gaara.

Zabuza swept into the room dramatically and everyone scrambled for their seats. Zaku switched off his iPod and tucked it into his hoodie pocket.

"Who are you?" Zabuza aimed his question at the Sabaku siblings.

"We're new," Temari said. Everyone glanced around, including Zaku, and he wondered if he could poke a pen through Kankuro's fleshy.

"That's enough staring," Zabuza snapped. The class spun to face him. "New kids, I'm afraid you're at a slight disadvantage. We've been studying the French Revolution over the last few weeks and today I'm assigning your first project."

"Figures, the worst teacher would chuck us serious work before the term is halfway over," Sakura hissed audibly.

"This project is due in the double on Tuesday and I expect it fully completed." Zabuza whipped a pile of paper from his suspicious-looking briefcase and threw it at a startled Shikamaru. The papers slowly circled the room and Zaku groaned at the contents. Zabuza wanted a full one-thousand word essay done by _Tuesday_? Even worse, an essay on what King Louis and Queen Marie-Antoinette did wrong and incited the revolution? Time to bring out that research on the guillotine…

Kin leant in close. "Hey Zaku, are you free this weekend?"

"Saturday morning. That's it."

She bit her lip. "What about this afternoon? I'm thinking you could both come over to mine and we could get this done quickly."

"Sounds good," Zaku replied.

"I'm game. Anything's better than going home."

Zaku hesitated. "I don't want to leave my sister at home… can I bring her?"

"Of course you can! I'll bet she's absolutely adorable."

Zaku thought about her dark eyes and chubby cheeks and smiled genuinely. "She is. Loud, but adorable."

Dosu almost laughed. "Wow, Zaku actually _smiled_. I really need to meet this Utako who can make Zaku smile…" He trailed off as Zabuza aimed a venomous glare at the trio. Zaku was quick to whip around and pay attention. No one wanted to invoke Zabuza's wrath.

"Now that I have everyone's attention, I'd like to bring your attention to the criteria of the project. One-thousand words by Tuesday and I want all of you to use at least five sources and correct Harvard-style referencing. Your Literacy teacher should have covered referencing. It's part of the syllabus." He was so matter-of-fact it was scary, but at least he was correct in assuming that Kakashi had taught them how to reference properly.

"This assignment makes me want to guillotine myself," Naruto hissed to Sasuke. The black-haired boy smirked and held out his fist, which Naruto bumped. It seemed that everyone was starting to get along now.

Zaku leant close to Kin. "I have karate right after school. I finish at four so I can be over after that."

"Sounds good." Kin scribbled her address on a piece of paper and slid it over. "It'll give Dosu and me more time to research and plan. You said you were good at writing so I trust you can use your writing skills for good."

"Sure." Zaku had a whole period of study after this which he was devoting to Iruka's Numeracy homework instead. He had no problem with Dosu and Kin finding all the sources and doing all the research. The boy settled back and returned his attention to Zabuza as he moved on from the assignment and began that class' topic: the Treaty of Versailles.

o.O.o

Zaku was out of his seat the second the bell rang. He grabbed his bag from under the library desk and scooped up his skateboard from where it rested by the door. Students tended to swarm around the school at this time and he wanted to get away before the main swarm arrived. He smoothly dropped his skateboard and jumped on top as it rolled forward. Dodging cars was easy work as he exited the school and skated along the paths to get back home and changed into his gi so he could get to karate on time.

He reached the Day-care in five minutes and tucked his skateboard under his arm before entering. The toddlers and children were all outside so it was much quieter. Zaku crossed to the sign-in book and marked that Utako had been picked up.

"-I'm sorry sweetheart."

The familiar voice sent chills down Zaku's spine. What the hell was his _Humanities_ teacher doing at the Day-care?

"It's okay Zabuza. I know you don't like teacher-parent meetings."

"I'd hoped we could maybe go to the movies or something tonight but then Tsunade dumps the Inuzuka boy on me."

Scratch that, why the hell was his _Humanities_ teacher talking about going on a date with _Haku_?

"You can't help what your boss says." There were footsteps and Haku exited the nursery door with Zabuza right behind him. The man and woman stopped and stared at Zaku. Zaku stared right back.

"Uh… hi." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I'm here for Utako."

"I'll get her for you." Haku touched Zabuza's arm and went back into the nursery. The Humanities teacher glared at his student.

"So what if I'm gay?" the man demanded suddenly. Zaku blinked.

"You're… gay? You mean Haku is… a guy?"

Zabuza stared dumbfounded. "Of course he's male. What the hell did you think he was, a woman?"

"Actually… hai." Haku made quite the convincing woman.

Girlish laughter sounded as Haku walked up with Utako in _his_ arms. "Don't worry darling, I get that all the time. So much so that I don't bother correcting people anymore." He handed the baby over to Zaku. "She missed you today."

"Baba!" Her chubby arms flailed in an attempt to touch his face. Zaku smiled softly at her cheerful expression.

"Thanks Haku. I should get going now." He looked up at Zabuza and nodded awkwardly. "Zabuza."

"Have a safe trip home!" Haku called as Zaku left the Day-care.

o.O.o

That karate lesson focused on kicks. There was _mae geri_ (front kick), _yoko geri_ (side kick), _mawashi geri_ (roundhouse kick) and _bushido geri_ (back kick). Zaku mainly held the big punching/kicking bags while the children ran through all the kicks multiple times and he had to fight the urge to whack that one kid that constantly complained.

The hahaoya's doted on Utako the whole time. She was wide awake from her one o'clock nap and ready to play but Zaku was a bit busy disciplining other children. Thankfully she had other people to keep her company while he was in class.

"Whose baby is she?"

"She's adorable! I just want to take her home!"

"Someone just left her here."

" _Shomeni, rei_. _Sensei-ni, rei_."

" _Arigato gozai masta_."

" _Utagani, rei_."

" _Arigato gozai masta_."

After bowing to the front of the room, then to Jiraiya and then to the person beside him in line, Zaku stepped off the dojo mats and pushed his way through the doting hahaoya's. They gave him a few funny looks when he bent down and picked up Utako from the cardboard box he'd laid her in (for her own safety, he didn't want her wandering off).

Jiraiya bounded over. "Who is this? She's adorable! I didn't know you had a kid!"

Zaku yelped. "She's not my kid! She's my sister!" How could someone think that?! He was fourteen!

"Oh… I didn't know you had a sister."

"Hahaoya started working late so I have to take care of her." The lies came so easily. Maybe one day he would apologise, but not today. He had to be eighteen so he had legal claim as her guardian, that way the government couldn't take her away. "I have to meet up with some friends for an assignment so…"

"No problems! Oh, and next week I need a hand leading the four-thirty class. You game?"

"Sure." Zaku adjusted his grip on Utako. "See you next week." He waved goodbye to his eccentric sensei, slipped on his shoes and skated home while still wearing his gi and holding a baby. There was something seriously weird with that picture.

The first thing he did after getting home was putting a pot of water on boil. He then sat Utako on the bathroom floor with a teddy he'd stolen from the Day-care so she wouldn't run off while he had a thirty-second cold shower. She kept herself amused while he cleaned up and dressed in a fresh shirt. Sure, he put on the same hoodie and jeans he'd been wearing for the last week, but the shirt, undies and socks were fresh.

The pot water was warm and he stuck a plug into the bathroom sink before pouring it in and bathing Utako. She smelt good when he finished and he replaced her nappy and dressed her. The sink was cleaned and she was ready to go. He packed his school things and some dinner for Utako and glanced at his bedside table. The voucher for a free bowl at Ichiraku Ramen still sat there and he had half a mind to treat himself. After the week he'd had, ramen was sounding pretty good.

"Why not?" He sighed and tucked the voucher into his pocket. It was time to do this assignment.

o.O.o

Zaku used his thorough knowledge of the streets to find the address written on a scrap of paper. He felt very out-of-place in this neighbourhood with all those front porches, picket fences, green lawns and fancy cars. Utako wriggled in his arms and he stroked her chin softly.

"Almost there sweetie. I can see the street sign." Zaku skated around the corner and spotted the right house. It seemed way too big for three people to live in. He picked up his skateboard and left it beside the front door so he had a free hand to knock.

Kin answered. "Zaku! Come in. Dosu's already in my room." She ushered him up the stairs and into her room. It was surprisingly bare, with only minimum furniture, some music posters and a keyboard in the corner.

"Um…" The door shut behind him. "Is everything okay?"

"I just didn't want chichi seeing you. He freaked out when Dosu got here."

"Hey." Dosu waved from where he sat on the floor surrounded by books.

"I think it was the bandages." Kin shrugged and her eyes dropped to the bundle in Zaku's arms. "Is this the famous Utako?"

"Hai." Zaku held her out and swallowed. "Kin, Dosu, meet my sister. Utako, this is my group."

"Oh come on, you can say we're your friends." Kin rolled her eyes and held out her hand for Utako to grab. "She's adorable. I hope she won't be too distracting while we do this."

Zaku placed the bundle on Kin's bed. "She shouldn't be. I brought a toy for her to play with." He pulled a teddy from his schoolbag and neglected to mention that he'd stolen it from the Day-care. She grabbed it and gurgled happily.

Kin and Zaku sat down with Dosu. "We've got most of the research done," Dosu explained, "enough to write a strong thesis."

"Let's do this," Kin sighed.

First they decided on a thesis. Then the main points. Zaku cobbled together a rough introduction and outlined the body paragraphs. He then wrote out the first paragraph in twenty minutes and sat back while Kin inserted the correct references and updated the reference list at the end. They worked for another solid hour before Utako started getting fidgety.

"She's hungry." Zaku pulled her off the bed and cradled her. "I should head home soon."

"Okay." Dosu flipped through a booklet of information Zabuza had given them during their second week. "Do either of you know any good accounting software? My Business assignment requires me to do some calculations in a virtual environment and I need a good program."

Kin wiggled from her cross-legged position on the floor. "My uh… my chichi would have a program, I'm sure. I can ask if you want."

"Or you could take a peek on his computer."

"I'll do that. Don't kill each other while I'm gone." Kin left the room and closed the door behind her. Zaku twisted and checked that Utako was fine. She wriggled around Kin's pillows and she was beginning to drool.

"Dammit- Utako you can't drool on other peoples' things!" He pulled her into his lap and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. She instinctively grabbed his thumb and used it to pull herself up into a sitting position.

Dosu chuckled and pulled a pair of chunky old-fashioned headphones from his schoolbag and slung them around his neck. "She's cute. I can see why you've gotten nicer with her around."

Zaku's entire body relaxed as Utako snuggled against him. "I guess you can say it's been good being responsible for someone else, like I have someone else to think about other than myself and it's making me grow up and stop feeling sorry for myself. After all, she was abandoned too."

"Baba."

"Utako, this is Dosu. _Dosu_."

"Dasa!" She squealed and held her arms out to the bandaged boy. Dosu reached across and awkwardly patted her head.

"I guess I'm Dasa now. What does 'Baba' mean?"

"I think it's some form of 'brother'. She's smart if she knows I'm not her chichi."

The doorknob turned and Kin stepped inside. "He uses _Xero_." She shut the door behind her. "Does that help?"

Dosu nodded. "Hai, I've heard of the program but I haven't used it. I'll have to download it when I get home."

Kin sat down and ruffled Utako's hair. "Hey cutie. Zaku, what dojo to you go to?"

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You said you do karate. What dojo? I've been meaning to study martial arts for a few years but the only dojo around is that stupidly expensive Uchiha one."

"Uh, the Chito-Ryu Karate-Do dojo run by Jiraiya Godaime. He's married to Tsunade, our principal. It's a good dojo I guess."

"It is." They both stared at Dosu. "I went there for about a year when I was seven or eight. Got to orange belt. Then hahaoya stopped paying for lessons and I can't afford it."

"So how expensive is it?"

"Three-hundred yen per lesson. It's cheap." Zaku shook his head in disbelief. "You're seriously thinking about it?"

"Chichi enrolled me in a three-month trial at the Jujitsu dojo across town, the one that the Uchiha own. Sasuke and Neji go there. Shino too I think. And maybe that Rock Lee kid? I'm not sure, but a lot of our classmates go there. I didn't like it because it didn't feel like karate."

"Jujitsu is a wannabe karate style. It's not even Japanese. I'll bet the Uchiha are just trying to make it a thing here because not many people know about it. You know, everyone knows that Tae-kwon Do is actually Korean so they couldn't open a Tae-kwon Do dojo. Jiraiya said that's why they went with Jujitsu and they rip off their students."

"Why do you do Chito-Ryu?"

Zaku smiled at that question. If his karate dojo wasn't any good he wouldn't've stuck with it for so long. "Chito-Ryu… it provides self-discipline. It teaches you to find balance with body, mind and spirit so you can be more peaceful with your everyday life. It promotes a healthier lifestyle and honestly I wish I could afford more than one class a week." He felt at ease talking about karate. It was one thing he had full confidence in.

Kin nodded. "I think I might check this dojo out. When do you normally go?"

"Friday at the three-thirty class." He remembered something that Jiraiya had said that could be helpful. "Um, next week I'm taking over the four-thirty class. If you did that one I could be around to give you a hand." Damn them for being so nice.

A slow smile stretched across Kin's face. "I like the sound of that."

Utako gave no warning and let out a huge wail. Zaku slapped his hand over her mouth. "She's hungry. I should take her home and feed her."

"I'm sure we can handle the conclusion." Kin nodded. She hesitated. "Um… Zaku… would you ever consider leaving Utako in someone else's care?"

"She goes to Day-care when I'm at school." He couldn't see where this was going.

"I um… my parents are pressuring me to get a job and I was thinking about becoming a nanny. Maybe I could take care of Utako when you need a break or something. You wouldn't have to pay!" She added the last part hastily.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Not right now anyway. I don't like being away from her." Zaku stood and shouldered his bag. "I'll see you on Monday."

Dosu smiled behind his bandages and waved. "Bye Zaku. It was nice meeting Utako."

"And Kin? You could become a nanny if you want. There's nothing stopping you." He shut the bedroom door behind him, took a deep breath and rushed down the stairs. An older woman (he assumed it was Kin's hahaoya) sat in the adjoining dining room and frowned at the boy holding a baby. No doubt Kin would be interrogated after Dosu left. Zaku grabbed his skateboard and moved onto the path, where he soothed Utako before skating to where he remembered Ichiraku Ramen to be.

As it was around seven o'clock on a Friday night, the shops were extremely busy. Zaku shouldered his skateboard and went the rest of the way on foot. Thankfully there were several spare seats at the ramen shop and he sat at the bench stool closest to the wall.

"Here we are sweetie." He zipped open his schoolbag and pulled out a small container of blended baby food and a spoon. Utako gurgled at the sight and stretched her hands towards the familiar container. Zaku chuckled at her enthusiasm, popped off the lid and spoon fed her.

"Hey Zaku, back again?"

"Hi Naruto." Zaku nodded at his classmate. Naruto was once again dressed in the white apron and hiding his hair under the chefs cap.

"Here to use your voucher?" Naruto leant against the bench and smiled.

"You guessed it." Zaku put the container on the bench and dug around his pocket for the paper. He withdrew it and handed it over to the blonde. "One Takayama ramen please."

Naruto's eyes drifted and locked on the baby. "Aw she's so cute! What's her name?"

"This is Utako. She's my sister." He went back to feeding her.

"I'll have your ramen in a moment."

Zaku continued feeding Utako until she was having difficulty eating all the food off the spoon. By that time the container was empty and he stuck it back in his bag. He looked up as Naruto walked over holding two bowls, noticing the blonde had ditched his apron and hat.

"You off work?" Zaku asked. He leant back so Naruto could place the ramen in front of him.

"Hai. Tuechi's daughter does the night shifts after I finish. Do you mind if I eat with you?"

"Not at all." Zaku dragged his bag off the stool beside him and dumped it on the floor. He readjusted his grip on Utako so he had a free hand to eat with. Naruto slid onto the stool and set down his own bowl of ramen.

"This is kind of my staple meal." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and grabbed his chopsticks. "I can't afford much else and I don't have cooking time anyway." He glanced sideways at the dark-haired boy. "You know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Sadly, I do." Zaku took a mouthful of noodles and rocked Utako gently. Her movements had slowed as her body devoted all its energy to digesting food. It was almost her bedtime anyway.

"What happened to your parents?" Naruto's careless tone put Zaku into defence mode.

"None of your business."

Naruto nearly choked on his ramen. "Wow, no need to be so mean about it. I know you live on your own too. It's pretty obvious."

Zaku lowered his hackles. "I wear the same shoes and hoodie every day. Don't think I haven't noticed you wear that ghastly orange jacket."

"It's not ghastly. It's super comfortable." The blonde grinned and slapped Zaku's shoulder. "So we're one and the same, huh?"

"I guess so." He rubbed Utako's arm with one hand and ate with the other.

"My parents were killed when I was a baby." Naruto's smile turned sad. "It was a totally random. There was a serial killer who had issues with his parents and he targeted happy couples. He was practicing killing and my parents were in the wrong place at the wrong time so he killed them. The police caught up with him not long after and put him in prison. I was only three."

His words humbled Zaku, though not by much. Naruto's parents didn't choose to leave him. "At least you know where they are. I never knew my chichi. Hahaoya abandoned me to fend for myself when I was ten. I don't know where they are or what they're doing. Your parents didn't have a choice. Mine did and they _left me_. A few weeks ago hahaoya dumped a baby on me claiming she couldn't take care of it herself."

Naruto placed a gentle hand on Zaku's back. "You're not that bad. So who knows the truth?"

"You, my neighbour, Kin and Dosu. My boss. You?"

"It's common knowledge what happened to my family. Maybe not as common as I thought but still…"

Zaku smirked. "I live under a rock." Utako was now fast asleep in his arms despite the hustle and bustle of the street.

"I didn't think there would be someone else at the school without parents. I guess you proved me wrong." Naruto held out his hand and Zaku had to drop his chopsticks so he could shake it.

"We don't have to be friends," Zaku said hesitantly. He'd be lying if he said he wanted to be best friends with Naruto. Friendly acquaintances, sure, but not friends. Two friends were difficult enough to handle and he didn't want a third.

"No problem. I don't blame you." Naruto raised his bowl and slurped up his broth. Zaku did the same, though with a bit less grace because he only had access to one hand. Talking with Dosu and Kin earlier in the week, and then with Naruto today… it was liberating. He'd begun to see something else in the world, something he'd only seen as a child.

Peace. Joy. Anticipation.

 _Happiness_.

"I'm still new to the whole friend thing. Maybe later when I'm not so…"

"Socially awkward?"

"Hai, that." Despite himself, a grin found its way onto Zaku's face. Naruto chuckled and held his hand out for Zaku's empty bowl.

"I'll take it to the kitchen. Night, Zaku."

"Night Naruto. I'll see you on Monday."

"Monday it is."

There were no words to describe the boy that stood and carried the bowls to the ramen shop kitchen. Zaku shook his head. That Naruto was truly something. First Sasuke, and now he'd befriended Zaku. A boy like that brought out the best in people and Zaku appreciated the ability for what it was: kindness. And he'd once thought of Naruto as loud and annoying…

Zaku unzipped his jacket, placed Utako inside and closed the zipper around her so she would be protected. He shouldered his bag, collected his skateboard and skated home at last. Utako slept through the whole trip.

Once inside, he switched on the light and locked the door. Utako wiggled in his jacket and he unzipped it and brought her into the open. She was so peaceful when she slept. He moved through the apartment and laid her in her crib, where she gurgled and curled further into her blanket. Her nappy would definitely need changing in the morning.

"Goodnight sweetie." He kissed her forehead and tiptoed from the bedroom so he could brush his teeth. The smile would not leave his face.


	9. Chapter 8

And we have here in this chapter the Sound Five: biggest bullies at ANBU College! Let the conflict ensue...

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 8**

Just because Naruto got along with Zaku didn't mean the rest of his group did. There was Sasuke and what was the girl's name? Sakura? Hai, it was Sakura. There were Sasuke and Sakura and neither liked the dark-haired boy. Sasuke's reason was obvious and he suspected Sakura just disliked him because everyone else did.

That was the unfortunate thing about the school hierarchy. Thankfully it was less present at Kohona High because of the group system (it was actually very ingenious). The groups were slightly more tolerant of each other thanks to the system. It forced people to hang out and get to know each other. It had worked with Zaku, Dosu and Kin after all.

But back to Sasuke. The boy really didn't like Zaku and it showed in his expression when Zaku walked into the gym for HPE class first thing that morning. Kohona High wasn't a school to give students a uniform for physical education and relied on the students' sensibility to wear appropriate clothes whenever they had HPE. In Zaku's case it was Wednesday morning for the first two periods.

Sasuke seemed to be glaring a hole into Zaku's forehead. Maybe it was because they'd stayed late after Hospitality to wash up again. Whatever the reason, Zaku refused to be shaken by the glare. He stood with Dosu and Kin and waited for the teacher to appear.

Maito Gai. Green shirt, cargo pants, black bowl cut and extremely white teeth. He approached the class with his usual whistle dangling around his neck and clapped his hands together.

"Right, today we'll warm up and get straight into soccer. Everyone outside!"

The class trooped outside and proceeded to run five laps around the sports field and break off into groups to stretch out their muscles. They were pleasantly warm by the end of their run and stretches. Gai blew his whistle and they moved towards him, several students shedding jumpers and jackets and throwing them to the side. Zaku was one of them.

"Now I need two people to volunteer as captains." He nodded as Sasuke and Tenten put up their hands. "I will now allocate each of you a team to make sure that the teams are even."

Zaku thankfully joined Tenten's team and stood behind Lee (Lee was fantastic at sport so Zaku was in the best team). Dosu and Kin were both in Sasuke's team and rolled their eyes at the preening Uchiha. What was there to preen about?

The hour that followed was one of the most brutal games of soccer Zaku had ever played. He was placed in the front with Lee (why, he would never know) instead of his favoured position of defence. That put him head-to-head with Sasuke who had some twisted idea that he needed to make Zaku's school life a complete misery because of the incident with Sakura. Even though soccer was a no-contact sport Sasuke seemed to find every excuse to kick Zaku by 'accident' or trip him over.

Mouthfuls of grass were wonderful. Not.

By the end of double HPE Zaku had successfully kept his temper in check and trooped dejectedly to the pile of jackets to find his. Sasuke smirked behind him and held a fist out for Naruto to bump.

"What's that for?" Naruto frowned at the fist and bumped it automatically.

"I kicked Abumi's sorry butt and Gai didn't see anything. Kept on tripping him and everything. Oof!" Sasuke doubled over as Naruto's fist made contact with his stomach. "What the hell?!"

"Be nice to Zaku," Naruto snapped, loud enough for Zaku to hear from his position at the dwindling pile of jackets. "He doesn't deserve your spite. He's an alright guy."

Sasuke bristled with… was that jealousy? "Why are you two suddenly all buddy-buddy?"

"I've actually taken the time to get to know him without making any judgements. You should do the same."

"I don't want to get to know him. He's a prick."

Naruto scoffed. "And this is why a lot of people don't like you."

Zaku scooped up his jacket and rushed to join Dosu and Kin at the edge of the field. He glanced back once and saw Sasuke and Naruto in the middle of a heated argument – he felt slightly guilty for causing so much grief to Naruto. The blonde really was a good kid.

"When are we getting the science project?" Kin asked.

"Next week," Zaku replied. He pulled on his jacket and zipped it up as they re-entered the school. The bell blared and they were surrounded by other Genin, Chuunin, Jounin and Kage's.

Dosu glanced sideways at Kin and fiddled with the bandage under his chin. "Have you spoken to your chichi about becoming a nanny?"

She groaned. "Don't remind me. He said I needed to get a real job like becoming an intern at his company. I don't want to become an intern. They get stuck with all the bad jobs in the office like getting coffee and shredding papers."

"At least you'll be able to get a job." Dosu lowered his hand as they reached their lockers. "No one will hire someone as ugly as me."

There was no reply to that. Zaku simply pulled out his usual apple and walked with Dosu and Kin to their spot under the music room. He couldn't keep the smile off his face when Kin offered him some of her sushi.

"Working isn't all it's cracked up to be," the brown-haired boy said. "Depending on what you do, usually it involves a lot of standing around. Plus you have to deal with co-workers but they're not really that bad." He thought about Sai. The boy, compared with his cousin, was actually nice. With Dosu, Kin and Utako's influence, Zaku found himself wishing he'd been friendlier to the calm Uchiha.

Well, hopefully it wasn't too late to start.

"Ugh, if I was an intern then all the employees would talk down to me, even if I'm the boss's daughter. Now if I became a nanny I wouldn't have any co-workers and I would just have to deal with clients. That sounds pretty good to me." Kin smiled, satisfied that she'd made her case. What case? Zaku had no idea. She was a weird one.

"When are we getting that Science project?" Dosu asked.

"Next Wednesday," Zaku replied. "Orochimaru's separating us into pairs."

"I hope I don't get paired with one of the new Sabaku siblings." Kin shuddered.

"Or Sasuke," Zaku muttered.

"I just don't want my partner to be Ino or Sakura. They're both so lazy." Dosu finished his food and switched positions so he was lying down. "This ground is freezing."

"Of course it is," Kin laughed, "it's not summer yet! We're just lucky that all the snow finished before school started, otherwise we'd be eating inside right now."

The bell rang ten minutes later and the trio got their books for Science and walked to the classroom. Orochimaru was unlocking the door when they arrived and they lined up behind Kabuto's group. They took their usual seats and the rest of the class filed in shortly after. Last to enter was Shino and everyone stared. Why was he carrying a jar full of bees? How had he even gotten the bees _into_ the jar? How had he even gotten the _bees_?

Kin instinctively moved her chair back until it hit the desk behind theirs. "Why did it have to be bees?" she murmured.

"What?" Zaku asked.

"I'm allergic. If they get out…"

Zaku swapped his books with hers and stood. "Sit in my seat, you'll be as far away as you can that way."

She blinked and smiled gratefully. "Thank you." He knew what was going through her mind and he honestly didn't know why he did it. Well that was a lie. He did it because she was his friend.

Shino put the bees on the front desk and Orochimaru smiled creepily. "Thank you Shino. I now have plenty of specimens for my Kage Biology class."

The dark-haired boy shrugged. "My parents study entomology. It was no problem." He sat down with his group and Orochimaru turned his attention to the class.

"Do we have anyone here who is allergic to bee stings?" Kin, Neji and Hinata all raised their hands and the creepy smile returned. "Don't worry, the bees won't be let out." He moved the jar to the other side of his desk (dangerously close to the edge, Zaku thought). Zaku shifted in his seat and noted that most of the class were just as uncomfortable as him.

Orochimaru launched into his class, but no one paid much attention. They cast nervous glances at the jar of bees on their teacher's desk. The ominous buzzing made it virtually impossible to focus on anything else and Zaku resorted to copying Dosu's notes, as he was in between the bandaged boy and Kin now. Dosu alone was able to hear past the buzzing and focus on Orochimaru's voice.

Zaku leant close to Kin and hissed, "What happens if you're stung by a bee?"

"I go into anaphylactic shock and I die unless I get a needle," she hissed back. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face. "I don't like talking about it."

"Fair enough." He understood that alright.

The double-Science class passed without incident and a collective sigh sounded when the bell blared. Orochimaru dismissed them and Zaku was quick to close his book and join the crowd at the door to leave. It would have been fine if Kiba hadn't tried to barge forward and knock into the desk.

The jar slipped off Orochimaru's desk with a _SMASH_! Bees swarmed out of the jar and the class panicked and pushed for the door. Zaku shoved Kin in front of him and he and Dosu stood behind her protectively. Neji and Hinata squeezed outside and Kiba screamed apologies that no one cared for. Zaku looked around and saw Shino running at the windows and flinging them open so the bees could get out. He joined the Aburame in his mission and together they managed to open the windows. Orochimaru pulled a jar of bug spray from his desk drawer and used it to herd the bees away from stragglers and towards the windows.

Everyone made it outside and Kiba made himself as small as possible. Kin was unhurt, thankfully, but Kankuro, Temari and Shikamaru weren't as lucky. Orochimaru sent the three straight to the office and the rest of the class trooped to lunch.

The trio sat in their usual spot under the music room and shuddered.

"That was terrifying," Kin said.

"Tell me about it." Dosu wrung his hands together. "Who in their right mind brings bees to school? I mean, people are actually _allergic_ and that could have killed them." He shook his head. "I know he said it was for his Kage Biology class but still…"

"It's dangerous," Zaku finished. The trio fell silent and stared at nothing in particular, each enveloped in their own thoughts. Zaku's sandwich was as tasteless as ever and his train of thought turned towards Utako. What was she doing right now? Was Haku treating her okay? He hadn't been able to look at the nanny the same since finding out Haku was actually a guy. And dating his Humanities teacher. He had no idea why it weirded him out so much but it did. As far as he was concerned, teachers didn't have lives.

"I'm not telling chichi," Kin declared.

o.O.o

"Hi Zaku!" Haku greeted him cheerfully. "Utako just woke from her afternoon nap."

"That's great." Zaku walked over to the register and signed off his sister. He dodged past a pair of excitable toddlers on the way to the nursery and tip-toed to Utako's crib. She was quiet when he approached but as soon as he came in sight she thrust her arms up.

"Baba!"

"Hey sweetie," he cooed, reaching in and lifting her up. She almost choked him in her enthusiastic hug and his heart swelled. Moments like this made everything worth it. He held her close and shut the nursery door shut behind him.

Haku wandered over with a sleepy toddler on his hip. "She's a really great girl, hasn't given me any trouble. But she misses you."

"I know." Zaku kissed her forehead. "All I want to be is a good brother."

"You'll have to be a great chichi too."

Zaku eyed the older male sharply. "Excuse me?"

"Children need a chichi-figure to look up to. You need to be a good role model for her."

"I don't-"

Haku smiled and put a hand on Zaku's shoulder. "Just keep doing what you're doing."

"But I don't know what I'm doing." The fear hidden deep inside made itself known. "I'm just worried that I'll mess up and lose her or she'll get hurt. Or I'll be expelled or something will happen and she'll be in danger. I just want to keep her safe and cared for."

"And I commend you for that." Haku smiled gently. "You're doing an amazing job for a fourteen-year-old."

"I…" A lump rose in Zaku's throat and he had difficulty swallowing. "Thank you."

"No problem. You should probably get home."

"Right. Thank you Haku. I'll see you tomorrow morning." He waved goodbye to Haku and left the Day-care with one arm holding Utako and the other holding his skateboard. With her in his arms he could breathe easily.

He arrived at work two minutes late and signed in. Sai was already serving customers and Zaku put Utako in the back room with a teddy. She looked sad when he closed the door, but made no sound. Zaku went to the front desk and sat boredly while Sai sold an electric guitar to a pair of men.

When the store was empty Sai went into the back room to fetch an electric guitar to replace the one he'd just sold. While he was gone, five teenagers around his own age entered the shop, talking loudly and jostling each other around. One of them – a dark-skinned boy with black hair – pointed a finger at Zaku.

"Hey, I know you!" the kid exclaimed.

Ah, of course. Five of the biggest pricks Zaku had ever known. Thankfully they all went to ANBU College instead of Kohona High. The dark-skinned boy was Kidomaru (arrogant and aggressive), the tall fat redhead was Jirobo (sarcastic and egotistical), the grey-haired, lipstick-wearing twins were Sakon and Ukon (proud and dangerous) and the redheaded girl was Tayuya (foul-mouthed and conceited).

"Now where have I seen you before," Tayuya mused, eyeing Zaku with as much interest as a bug. Sai emerged from the back room at that moment and stiffened upon seeing the five.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, placing the guitar down.

"We just wanted to see how our buddy Sai was doing," Sakon smirked.

"You know, see if he's done what we asked him," Ukon continued.

"Because that'd be a pity if he hadn't," Jirobo finished, cracking his knuckles.

Sai rolled his eyes. "Are you guys serious? I'm not doing _anything_ for you." He grabbed the guitar and moved among the aisles of instruments. "Now go away," he called, "I'm working."

Tayuya was still looking at Zaku, completely ignoring Sai. "I know you," she said slowly. Her brows furrowed.

Anger bubbled in Zaku's belly. These five had bullied him in primary school. They'd bullied everyone. His bad primary school experience could be partly attributed to them, but only partly. After his hahaoya left and he became angry and irritable they left him alone. He hadn't seen them in over a year because they'd been in a different class.

Sai walked back over, having put the electric guitar in its place. "You should go. I'm not doing anything for you so stop asking."

Tayuya shouted triumphantly. "You! You were the jerk who didn't talk to anyone! I wondered where you got to. Obviously dropping out wasn't enough, you had to waste your life at a _music shop_ with this loser."

His pride prickled. "I'll have you know that I go to Kohona High now and it's a fair sight better than ANBU ever was. At least I don't have to deal with people like you."

" _Zaku_ ," Sai hissed, his usual passive demeanour completely evaporating as mortification crossed his face. The anger was reaching boiling point. Sai might not be his friend, but they'd worked together for a few years and Zaku wouldn't let anyone treat him like that.

Kidomaru laughed. "Zaku Abumi. You always were stupid. There are five of us and two of you. You shouldn't go around picking fights."

"I'm not picking a fight. You are." He stood and moved around the desk so there was nothing between them. "Get out and leave Sai alone."

"Ooh make me," Sakon taunted. His twin laughed and cracked his knuckles. Zaku opened his mouth to reply when a cry rang out from the back room. Everyone spun to face the source of the sound and pure fear pulsed through Zaku's body. _Utako_!

Tayuya shot towards the door like lightning, Zaku hot on her heels. She grasped the handle, preparing to rip it open, but he shoved his body against it and slammed it shut.

"GET OUT!" he thundered, pushing her back. She stumbled a few steps and glared.

"Or what?" she challenged. Zaku drew himself to his full height and stepped forward threateningly. Out of instinct, she stepped back.

" _You don't want to know_."

A shiver of fear ran through the entire words at his venomous words. Murderous intent reverberated from Zaku and the girl turned on her heel and stalked from the music shop. Her friends hesitated before following. Sai sunk to his knees, trembling, and wiped sweat from his upper lip.

"That was…"

Zaku retrieved Utako from the back room and sat next to Sai. She curled up in her brother's arms and cooed quietly. "I couldn't let them near her," he said quietly. "You know what they're like."

"Hey… thanks for that." Sai looked down and a pink tinge appeared on his cheeks. "They think they can push anyone around, even me and you know who my chichi is."

"Don't let them push you around." Zaku shrugged and squeezed Utako's cheek. She gurgled and groped for his finger, which he supplied, and she looked at it with interest.

"It's hard." Sai bit his lip. "Zaku, are you a disappointment to your chichi?"

Zaku looked up from Utako and furrowed his brows. "I never knew my chichi. Why?"

Sai changed positions so he could wrap his arms around his knees. "My chichi is Obito Uchiha, he runs the Jujitsu dojo and he wants me to follow in his footsteps and become a sensei."

"That sounds kinda cool."

"I guess. A lot of people go to the dojo, like my cousin Sasuke and that friend of his Neji. I only go because chichi wants me to do martial arts. It's just… you saw what happened before. I'm not good with conflict and I don't have the whole intenseness thing that chichi wants me to have."

Zaku tilted his head. "Is he disappointed because you want to become an artist?"

"Hai. If I told him that I'm being bullied at school, and that I want to become an artist, he'd disown me for sure. He'd call me weak and I don't know if I can handle that. I don't know what to do."

"Let me share some pearls of wisdom." Zaku leant forward and adjusted his hold on Utako. "If your chichi will be disappointed, let him be. My friend Kin wants to be a musician but her chichi wants her to go into business, and she's going to do what makes her happy and her chichi will have to accept that. You do what makes you happy and your chichi can't be disappointed in you for that.

"Easier said than done."

"And the bullies? Forget them. Stop talking to them. Walk away when they approach you. Don't let them get to you. They're not worth your time."

Sai chuckled. "I think you scared them away anyway." A pause. "You're a lot easier to talk to. Utako has a good influence on you."

"It _is_ nice having friends and a family." Zaku smiled gently. "Besides, I don't like seeing good people being picked on by bad ones. You're my co-worker, so what kind of person would I be if I let someone try and hurt you?"

"… Thank you."

"Do you want to hold her?"

Sai blinked. "As in… hold her?"

"Hai. Look, bend your elbows like this… and I'll just put her in the cradle."

The pale-skinned boy stared at the bundle of warmth and laughed awkwardly. "Well… this is a weird experience. No one's ever trusted me to hold a baby before, not even hahaoya."

"I'll be honest, I haven't trusted anyone besides the nanny to hold her." Zaku flushed and fought the urge to grab Utako back. She seemed quite comfortable with Sai. The other boys emotionless demeanour broke and he smiled widely.

"I can see why you've changed."

o.O.o

Zaku arrived at his apartment lot just after seven o'clock. He tucked his skateboard under his arm and whistled along to the song on his iPod as he climbed the steps, dancing slightly.

"Don't get to close, its dark inside, it's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide," he sung quietly. He unlocked his apartment door and switched on the light. His stomach rumbled. He dumped his skateboard and schoolbag and wandered to the kitchen to warm a pot of water over the stove for his dinner. Noodles and vegetables, he thought. Did he have bacon? Indeed he did. He put Utako on the couch with her teddy and got to work making dinner, humming along to his iPod.

With earphones in, he didn't hear Utako begin to cry. He couldn't smell her soiled nappy because of the cooking food. He couldn't see her red face because he was stirring the pot. What he did notice was the entire room vibrating as someone pounded against the door.

He pulled out his earphones, heard Utako, and swore vehemently. The food would be fine for a moment. He darted across the room and yanked the door open.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll quiet her down in a moment-" He broke off at the eerily familiar face. Asuma Sarutobi, his Music teacher, stood blinking in confusion with a hand raised to knock again.

"Abumi?"

The boy scuffed his foot on the carpet and nodded. "I'm sorry, I'll quiet her." He picked up Utako and rocked her gently. The contact calmed her and Zaku wrinkled his nose at the smell. No matter how many nappies he changed…

Asuma 'hmphed' and leant against the doorframe. "I'd hoped to enjoy a relatively _quiet_ dinner with my chichi and son."

Speak of the devil. Konohamaru appeared behind Asuma and cried out in joy. "Zaku! Hi! It's been ages!" He jumped forward and threw his arms around the surprised teenager's waist. "Why do you have a baby?"

"Konohamaru, meet Utako. She's my baby sister."

"It's great to meet you." Konohamaru turned to his chichi. Sarutobi… of course, Asuma was old man Sarutobi's son. "Chichi, can I stay over at Zaku's for a little bit?"

Asuma's eyes flicked to the untidy kitchen and he shook his head. "Your friend looks a bit busy. We wouldn't want to disturb their dinner." Something about Asuma's presence was incredibly disconcerting. "Where's your hahaoya?"

Zaku swallowed. "She doesn't finish work until later. Konohamaru can stay for a little bit if he wants. He could help me feed Utako?"

"Please chichi? Please?"

The Music teacher gave Zaku a long, contemplative look, but Zaku refused to cow. This was his apartment and he wouldn't show weakness. "Fine. Ten minutes then you're back." He turned and strode next door. Konohamaru squealed with delight and rushed into the apartment.

"What does she eat? Can I feed her? Please-please-please-please?"

"Of course you can." Zaku held Utako with one hand and moved to the kitchen to stir his noodles with the other. "I have to change her nappy first. Can you please stir this? It shouldn't take too long."

Konohamaru obediently stirred the noodles while Zaku took Utako into the bathroom, took off and rinsed her filthy nappy (he'd wash it on Saturday and reuse it the following week) and wiped her bottom. He didn't bother putting pants on her, as he'd bathe her after she ate.

"Where are her pants?" Konohamaru asked. Zaku placed the fidgety baby on the bench and pulled a container of blended baby food from the fridge.

"She's getting a bath shortly." Zaku tapped the boy's arm and demonstrated how to feed her. "Now you have a go."

The boy took the spoon and food and copied Zaku's movements, a delighted smile gracing his face. An equally delighted smile formed on Zaku's and he drained the cooked noodles in the sink. Noodles, bacon, carrot, broccoli and egg. Very nutritious. He ate while watching Konohamaru gently coax Utako to eat more and she swallowed the food obediently. She'd taken a liking to the four-year-old.

Zaku finished at exactly the same time as Utako. He rinsed all the cooking and eating utensils and wrapped Utako inside his camo hoodie. He put an arm around Konohamaru and walked the boy down the hall to Sarutobi's apartment.

"Can I come over again soon?" Konohamaru asked. Zaku's stomach pulsed with an emotion he hadn't experienced for far too long: loneliness. He yearned for comfort, for someone to talk to. He yearned to spend time with this extraordinary boy, and with Dosu and Kin too. Such a strange emotion.

He smiled and squeezed Konohamaru's shoulder. "Sure you can kid, just run it through with old man Sarutobi first."

The boy grinned and ruffled Utako's wispy brown locks. "I'll see you later." He opened the door and slipped inside. Zaku met Sarutobi's gaze for a split second and the old man smiled knowingly. Then the door shut.

Zaku wandered back to his apartment. He spent the next hour bathing Utako in the bathroom sink with stove-warmed water. She fell asleep after he tied up a clean nappy and he set her down in the crib for sleep. He then washed the dinner dishes, had a thirty-second cold shower, completed a few Literacy questions for homework and strummed a few quiet chords on his guitar. By the time he kissed Utako's forehead and climbed into bed, it was nine o'clock and he was drained.

Big day, big day. Bullied by Sasuke. Attacked by bees. Bullied by the ANBU kids. Found out by his Music teacher. Sleep sounded great.


	10. Chapter 9

Of all the stories I've written for _Naruto_ , this is definitely my favourite. I really liked Zaku's character in the anime and really wish he didn't have to be such a jerk. Team Dosu really struck a chord with me. I know a few of you feel that way too, otherwise you wouldn't be reading! I love fanfics where the sound three actually survived and helped Kohona defeat Orochimaru.

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 9**

Ah Fridays: the conclusion of one school week that signalled that another would soon begin. Zaku spent the first two periods (Numeracy and Literacy) studying trigonometry and syntax. He spent the middle two periods (Music and science) playing guitar and copying down notes on cell biology. He spent the final two periods (Humanities and study) reviewing the group paper on the French Revolution and completing his homework tasks.

He caught up with Kin and Dosu outside their lockers after the bell rang. "So… are you two still into karate tonight?"

"Hai!" they chorused.

"The four-thirty class right?" Kin asked.

"Be there a little bit earlier so you can stretch. We don't spend a lot of time on warming up but I'll see what Sensei Jiraiya wants to do. Oh, and it costs three-hundred yen per class so bring the money."

"I can't wait," Kin enthused. Dosu merely smiled behind his bandages. Zaku felt a stab of concern for the other boy because if he remembered correctly, Dosu only got money from walking dogs. If he didn't have the money and his hahaoya refused to lend it…

"I'll be there." Something about Dosu's grin made the urge to grin back irresistible. So Zaku grinned back. He slung his back over his shoulder and skated through the horde of schoolkids, all excited for the weekend. His weekend wouldn't be very interesting, as usual, but with Utako to come home to they weren't completely boring.

With earphones in, he murmured the lyrics to Imagine Dragons (he liked the band even if he couldn't understand them because they spoke English). "I'm only a man with a candle to guide me. I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me. A monster, a monster, I've turned into a monster, a monster, a monster, and it keeps getting stronger." He liked the emotion in the foreign words, the pain and longing hidden in each line and the unsung words expressed in the music. It was something he could identify with.

He skated across the road, narrowly avoiding a car that refused to slow for him, and kicked the back of his skateboard so it flew into his hand. Zaku switched off the music and entered the Day-care. Haku was out the back today, comforting a crying child, so Zaku signed Utako out, grabbed her and waved once so the older man knew he was there. He then skated home, changed into his gi and grabbed some food for Utako, and skated to the dojo.

"Hey Zaku, nice to see you finally show up!" Jiraiya joked when Zaku kicked off his shoes and entered the dojo.

"I know right? It's not like I'm ever late." The teenager carried Utako to her cardboard box and set her inside with his schoolbag. "Is Tsunade coming today?"

"Hai, she said she's becoming a regular on Friday's. Ready for class?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

" _Shugo!_ "

All the children for the three-thirty class ran to the centre of the mats and hurried to line up. Zaku walked among them, putting them in order of rank, before taking his usual place at the front of the line.

" _Shomani_ ," Jiraiya called, " _rei._ " The class bowed to the front.

" _Sensei-ni,_ " Zaku called and they all faced Jiraiya, " _rei_." The class bowed to Jiraiya and chorused: " _Onegeshimasu_."

"Alright, everyone move to the back and do five laps!"

The class was a relatively calm one compared to some classes Zaku had done before. Some classes had him aching the next morning from doing too many push ups or having to stay in _shiko dachi_ too long. The name _Chito-Ryu_ stood for '1000', and multiple times Jiraiya had made them do one-thousand punches or one-thousand kicks. It got extremely difficult to keep up the pace in the last hundred because he was so close to the end but it wasn't over yet.

Dosu and Kin came in together ten minutes before class started, clad in shorts and a t-shirt (for Dosu) and tights and a singlet (for Kin). They stood at the edge of the mats and stretched uncertainly – Zaku had to fight a snort at the ineffective stretches they tried to do. They weren't even thinking about their ankles and wrists and those needed as much preparation as the legs.

The three-thirty class finished and Zaku joined them, a slight sheen of sweat coating his face. "Nice to see you could make it." He grinned, fuelled by endorphins. "Just pop your money in the box over there, Sensei Jiraiya will collect it after class."

"What are you, like, his star pupil?" Kin asked.

"He does favour you."

"I'm not his star pupil. I just help out a lot." Zaku glanced at the clock and moved over to Utako. He had two minutes before the next class and there was time to feed her. He pulled a container of blended vegetables from his bag and started to spoon-feed the sleepy baby. Give it an hour and she would soil her nappy.

" _Shugo!_ " Jiraiya shouted. Zaku cursed and hurried to put the lid on. Someone tapped his shoulder.

"Hey," Tsunade said (where had she come from?), "I'll do this, you go to class."

He didn't have time to think about it. "Thank you." He handed over the container and spoon and ran onto the dojo mats. Dosu and Kin stood uncertainly and he took them to the end of the line where the white belts were. This class had older students, with a green-belt girl who was older than Zaku. He was still the most senior. This time he didn't stand at the front of the line, but stood in between the class and Jiraiya since he was a leader (or Senpai) and wasn't actually training.

Jiraiya cast his eyes over the eight students before facing the front. " _Seiza_." The entire class (Dosu and Kin a little confusedly) knelt down, folded their feet beneath them and placed their hands on their laps. " _Mokuso_." Zaku knew that his friends would be confused at the term but would quickly realise they had to close their eyes and begin meditation. Seiza before class was designed to calm and prepare him for the next hour of karate.

He sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly. He could hear Tsunade murmuring quietly to Utako to get her to eat the food. His sister gurgled at the new face and he fought the urge to run over and grab her from the box. _Focus_.

" _Mokusoimei_." Zaku opened his eyes and peeked at his friends through his peripheral vision. They blinked uncertainly but Dosu seemed more comfortable than Kin. He'd done Chito-Ryu before, after all. " _Shomeni, rei_." Jiraiya bowed to the front and his class followed.

" _Sensei-ni, rei_ ," Zaku said. Everyone faced Jiraiya and bowed.

" _Onegeshimasu_."

Jiraiya stood and gestured to the class. "Stand up." They did. "Alright, Zaku, lead the class through a warm-up. You got ten minutes."

Zaku took over his senseis place and faced the class. "Okay, just jump up and down, get that blood flowing." Everyone jumped. "Jump forward and back. Side-to-side. One leg forward." Now they were in basic _seisan dachi_ , with one leg in front of the other and hands held up in a relaxed sparring pose. He made them swap sides after a ten-count.

"Arms around." They windmilled their arms forward for ten counts before doing it backwards. He made them do the splits, spend thirty seconds in _shiko dachi_ (horse-riding stance) and stretch their arms in multiple directions. Neck stretches were always his favourite and it felt good to crack his neck.

Then his ten minutes were up. Jiraiya swapped with Zaku and cracked his knuckles. "Okay Zaku, I want you to spend twenty minutes with the new kids teaching them basic punches and blocks, some stances and if you have time, front kick and side kick." He and Zaku bowed to each other and Zaku went over to Dosu and Kin.

"Why hello there," Kin said sarcastically. She was already panting just from the warm-ups. "This is what you do every Friday afternoon."

"No, normally I'm home by now." He ushered them to the back corner so Jiraiya had plenty of room to practice kata with the other six students. "So put your feet together, toes and heels." He led them through the six basic stances – toes and heels together, toes out heels together, toes and heels parallel, toes out even more, heels out and toes turned in with knees bent, and toes out and knees out in horse-riding stance. Then, in _seisan dachi_ (the fifth stance) he led them through basic _chudan zuki_ (body punch), _jodan zuki_ (head punch) and _gedan zuki_ (groin punch).

"This seems easy enough," Kin said.

"Wait until you get higher," Dosu sighed, "and they make you use hips."

"Exactly, you're using your arm to punch right now. When you develop your technique more you'll be using your hips and core to punch. It makes the punch a lot stronger." He'd never had to explain it before but he hoped it made sense. If Kin _did_ decide to start karate she'd understand. Karate was something that she had to actually do to understand, once she'd gone past the surface and begun to see the subtext underneath.

He then showed them basic _jodan uke_ (upper block), _soto uke_ (outside block), _uchi uke_ (inside block) and _gedan barai_ (lower block). Dosu was remembering all the stuff from when he was younger and picked it up quickly, but Kin still struggled. He couldn't expect her to be perfect on the first go.

After blocks, he took them through _seisan dachi_ and _shiko dachi_ stepping. The first lap of the dojo he just had them stepping, but the second lap he made them add punches for both stances. That only took fifteen minutes, so he had plenty of time to show them _mae geri_ (front kick) and _yoko geri_ (side kick). The first time Kin attempted a side kick she fell over and Zaku fought a laugh at her furious blushing.

"That's not funny." She got to her feet and resumed her stance. Zaku swallowed and cleared his face of laughter.

" _Yame_!" Jiraiya called. Twenty minutes were up already? It hadn't felt like twenty minutes. Zaku, Dosu and Kin bowed to one another and moved to join the other students. Jiraiya grinned and clapped his hands together. "What do you all say to some jumping kicks?"

The class cheered and lined up in front of the three black punching bags hanging from a concrete wall. Zaku went first to show everyone how it was done, running to the bags and leaping into the air, planting a vicious front kick on the bag that sent it swinging. Dosu and Kin gasped at his raw power.

"I didn't know you were that strong," Kin gaped.

"Years and years of karate," Zaku shrugged.

They went from jumping front kicks to partner work. Jiraiya disappeared for a few minutes while Zaku led the class through reverse punch. They would stand with one leg forward and twist their hips so their back hand would punch their partner. It allowed Kin to understand just how important hips were, as she found she couldn't punch without hips. The other students listened to the blue-belt simply because he was the most senior in the class and he liked it. He liked that they listened and followed his instructions without protest. He felt almost… accepted.

When the hour was almost up, Jiraiya came back and ordered them to line up. He led them through some warm-down stretches and decided against _Seiza_.

" _Shomani, rei."_ They bowed to the front.

" _Sensei-ni, rei_ ," Zaku called. They bowed to Jiraiya. " _Arigato gozai masta_."

" _Senpai-ni, rei_ ," Jiraiya said. They bowed to Zaku. " _Utagani, rei_."

They bowed to one another. " _Arigato gozai masta_."

Jiraiya clapped his hands together. "Have a good afternoon!" The class dispersed and Zaku, Dosu and Kin wandered off the mats as the next class took over. Zaku was pleased to see that Utako was still in her box, but he could smell her soiled nappy. She was sitting up and grasping the edges of the box in an attempt to pull herself to her feet. His heart ached.

"That wasn't bad," Kin grinned, pushing stray strands of hair away from her sticky face. "I think I'll be coming back next week."

Zaku bent and pulled Utako into his arms. "The dojo is open every day, you can come any day you want. I just come on Friday's because it's when I don't have work."

The girl checked the clock on the wall. "I told chichi I would be home at six, I should get going." She smiled warmly at her friends. "Thanks for making this an interesting afternoon, I had fun. I'll see you both on Monday." They exchanged waves and she slipped on her shoes, grabbed her bike from outside and left the dojo.

Dosu rubbed the back of his head. "So…"

"So?"

"Are you busy tomorrow?"

The question took Zaku off guard. "Um, I have work in the afternoon, but other than that…"

Dosu scuffed the wooden floor and lowered his voice as the next class went into _Seiza_. "I was wondering if you might… uh… want to come to the hospital with me. I have an appointment for my face and it'd just be better if someone was with me. I can shout lunch."

Zaku didn't even hesitate. "Hai, I'll come." He grinned. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?"

The look on Dosu's bandaged face tugged on his heartstrings. His eyes sparkled like the ocean during sunrise and his smile was infectious, causing Utako to giggle and reach out to him. If the admission of friendship caused this happiness, Zaku wondered what would happen if he told Kin she was his friend too.

"That's great! I'll uh, where will we meet?"

"What time's the appointment?"

"Ten o'clock. Do you want to meet outside the hospital?"

"Hai, hospital at ten, and afterwards you can shout sushi or sashimi. I don't know what kind of shops they have in the city." As opposed to the suburbs. Zaku hadn't had sashimi in years. He wrinkled his nose as Utako's nappy made itself known.

"Sounds like a plan." Dosu nodded and readjusted his bandages. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Zaku stayed for a minute to gather his things while Dosu left. He slipped on his worn shoes and skated home. Five-forty. Plenty of time to get to the bank and pay his bills. He threw on jeans and his hoodie and knocked on old Sarutobi's door.

"Why hello Zaku, what can I do for you?" the old man asked. Zaku held out Utako, gross nappy and all.

"I just need to duck out to the bank for a minute. Would you be able to watch her?"

Sarutobi sniffed the air. "She needs a nappy change."

"Hai, I'll do it when I get back."

The old man laughed. "Don't worry, I've changed plenty of nappies, especially recently with Konohamaru." He held out his arms and took Utako. "She'll be safe with me. Get to the bank before it closes."

Zaku smiled gratefully. "Thanks for this. It won't be a permanent thing, I just can't take her to the bank and let them see her, or they'll start asking questions."

"Off you go."

Zaku returned to his apartment and knelt in front of his wardrobe, pulling up a plank of wood to access the false bottom. He grabbed out his plastic Zip-lock bag with ¥14,500 yen inside and tucked it into his pocket. With that safely secured, he took his skateboard and headed for the bank.

 _Akatsuki Bank, Buy and Loan_ was where all the locals went to manage their financial transactions. Zaku had never seen any of his classmates at the bank, only older people, but that was because everyone else had parents who did everything for them. He entered the automatic doors and shivered as air conditioning enveloped him. Bright white and dull grey surfaces, a thin layer of dark grey carpet. Wide glass windows. Those red velvet ropes that three people lined up between. Zaku joined the end of the line, feeling very scruffy when comparing himself to the trio wearing business suits. He unconsciously attempted to comb his hair with his fingers in a doomed attempt to tame the untameable locks.

The line moved up. A well-dressed woman with long dark hair and pale eyes moved into position behind him. A woman with wild brown hair moved into place behind her. Zaku was at the front of the line. A banker waved him over.

"Hello, how may I help you?" the banker asked. Zaku spared a glance at his nametag.

"My name is Zaku Abumi, I have a billing account that I want to put some money through."

Itachi typed into his computer, long, elegant fingers moving gracefully and decisively. "I see your account. You have fourteen-thousand and five-hundred yen due today, that's rent, water and electricity for your apartment."

Zaku's weekly expenses came up to ¥16,900, including buying food and little extra things for Utako. He earned ¥17,600 from working at the music shop (thank you Suigetsu) and was able to put a little bit spare away every week. Quite often he tapped into those savings to buy shampoo, conditioner, washing detergent and the like, and as a result the savings never were much. ¥10,000 at most but it was still good back-up money.

"Sounds about right." Zaku handed over the bag of money. Itachi tipped it all out and gave the bag back. He processed all the notes and coins in two minutes and nodded.

"Your transaction has been approved. Your next billing is due in two weeks." Itachi smiled woodenly. "Thank you."

"Have a good evening." Zaku turned and left the bank happily. It had never been his favourite place, too cold and leeching for his liking. It sapped his energy just by being there. He skated home, eager for a quiet night, and wondered what he would make for dinner. Probably a sandwich, he wasn't feeling inspired.

o.O.o

Zaku closed his apartment door behind him and blew a raspberry on Utako's arm. She didn't smell bad as Sarutobi had changed her nappy and bathed her, and she giggled enthusiastically at her brother's antics. His heart squeezed with love and he snuggled her close.

"I love you," he whispered. She stuck her finger up his nose and he pulled back, spluttering.

Dinner. Shower. Homework. A spot of cleaning, wiping down the toilet, shower and kitchen benches. It was only eight-thirty. He sat on the old leather couch and gently rocked Utako, humming quietly.

"Did hahaoya ever love us?" he mused. He'd tried to avoid the thoughts but they were inevitable. Speaking out loud seemed to help. "She raised me for ten years and ran off somewhere, then I got you. We're only half-siblings, you know?"

"Baba…"

"You're almost seven months now. Man, I don't even know your birthday. I guess I'll have to guess." He sighed and continued rocking her. "Hahaoyas are supposed to love their children unconditionally. It's their job to be there for us and help us through life. I've been forced to wing everything and just hope that it'll go okay." He bit his lip. "I have no idea what I'm doing, Utako. I'm fourteen. I have zero skills in raising babies. Everything I know, I know from library books. What if I do something wrong? I can't give you everything a baby needs. Hell, I'm not even _legal_ yet."

She rolled over and lay her head in his lap, yawning. Zaku noted with interest that one small strip of white appeared on her bottom jaw. Her first tooth. He sighed and stroked her head. No matter what his hahaoya had put him through, Utako was worth it. The indecision, the fear, everything cancelled out when he heard her laugh. To hold another human being's life in his hand… it was scary. But he did it out of love. If he didn't love her, no one else would. All the other kids his age were getting into relationships and throwing around the word 'love', but he could say it to Utako and mean it. He thought he'd loved his hahaoya, but he didn't. He couldn't. Utako was different. She was the reason he worked so hard and couldn't wait to get home in the afternoons.

To think of himself as a chichi and a brother, it was strange, but Utako was _his_. Their hahaoya couldn't even be called their hahaoya, considering the way she'd abandoned them. Zaku never had a parent to look up to, but he would make sure his sister did.

She dozed off in his arms and he carried her to her crib and tucked her in. She looked so sweet, so guileless, as she slept with the moonlight peeking past the curtains. Zaku turned off the living room light, closed his bedroom door and curled into bed. He lay there for a moment before getting back up and bringing Utako into bed with him. He held her small body close and her warmth seeped through his t-shirt to touch his skin.

"Goodnight Utako…"


	11. Chapter 10

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 10**

Zaku spent the morning at the shops. He bought all the groceries for the week and went home and washed Utako's nappies and his clothes for the week. His camo hoodie went in the wash and (for the first time in weeks) he put on his beige knitted jumper with the kanji for death emblazoned on the front in red. The kanji wasn't his choice, but the jumper was free so he didn't complain.

It was nearing nine-thirty when he carried the washing basket to the apartment block's small backyard and set it and Utako down on the grass. She gurgled happily and proceeded to roll around in the greenery while Zaku pegged the damp washing on the line. He squinted at the mid-morning sun and sighed as the warmth washed over his pale skin. A new day brought new hope.

He finished hanging up his jeans and carried Utako back inside. He changed her clothes to the nicest ones she had come with and combed his hair. It didn't like being combed so he tied it back with his headband, the one with a music note displayed on front. Now he was ready to go.

Zaku skated to the hospital with Utako under one arm. He'd only been there once but it was in central Kohona and quite difficult to miss. The big red cross was pretty obvious. He saw it from blocks away and dodged between people on the paths, manoeuvring between cars and avoiding a few bicycles. People ignored him here – they were mostly busy adults rushing around to get their morning shopping done. Zaku skated past a tea shop and stiffened at the gorgeous scent of tea. He almost crashed into a pole but dodged it just in time.

He saw Dosu easily, standing next to the bike racks. The bandaged boy stood awkwardly with his hands in his oversized-jackets pockets. Zaku came off his skateboard and tucked it under his arm. He paused at a set of traffic lights and waved to catch Dosu's attention.

"Hey man!" he called. Dosu looked up at the shout and caught sight of Zaku at the lights. It turned green and Zaku crossed the road to the hospital. Utako stuck her head up to take in all the hustle and bustle of the inner city.

"How's it going?" Dosu asked when Zaku came level with him.

"Ah, did all my shopping this morning, nothing exciting."

"I almost didn't recognise you without the hoodie."

"Well you have to mix things up." The boys headed for the front entrance of the hospital. Zaku still wasn't exactly sure why Dosu wanted him there, but free lunch. A person who turned down free lunch was an idiot.

They lined up in the front lobby and Utako shifted restlessly. Zaku readjusted his skateboard and shushed her. "Am I allowed my skateboard in here?" he asked. "It's not like I can chain it to the bike rack or anything."

Dosu nodded. "It should be fine, I've seen a few other people with skateboards before." They shuffled forward a few steps, careful not to bump into the old couple in front. "Thanks for this. I hate hospitals."

"No problem. My Saturday was gonna be boring but this is better." Zaku cradled Utako gently and she gurgled. "Do you remember Dosu?"

"Dasa…" she drew out the last syllable and squealed as she saw Dosu. "Dasa! Baba Dasa!"

"She calls you 'Baba'?"

"It's like she knows I'm her brother, not her chichi."

"That's adorable."

"I know."

They moved to the front of the line and stood silently (minus Utako's antics) until one of the receptionists beckoned them forward. The man nodded respectfully, barely batting an eye at Dosu's bandages.

"How can I help you?"

"Ten o'clock appointment for Dosu Kinuta with Doctor Mikoto Uchiha."

Tap, tap. Tap-tap-tap on the keyboard. "Hai, do you need directions to her office?"

"No, I can manage on my own. Thank you."

"I'll notify her that you are here."

"Thank you." Dosu bowed his head and he and Zaku left the lobby. Dosu glanced sideways at Zaku. "Look, if you don't want to you don't have to actually come in with me. You can wait in the waiting room. It'll take an hour to get samples and results."

Zaku glanced at Utako. He had to prioritise. "I don't want her to distract the doctor. Did you say Mikoto Uchiha?"

"Hai… my doctor is Sasuke's hahaoya. Rotten luck, huh? She doesn't know we go to the same school though." Dosu and Zaku stood outside the empty waiting room. "I'll be out as soon as possible. Thanks for this."

"Just stop saying thank you." Zaku rolled his eyes and smiled. Doing something like this for Dosu felt… nice. It felt good to do something for someone and he genuinely enjoyed Dosu's company. "I'll be here."

"Dasa!" Utako squealed and reached her hands up. Dosu glanced at Zaku questioningly before lowering his hand and letting her squeeze his finger. Zaku wished he could see the boy's expression behind the bandages but hey, he couldn't have everything.

"I'll see you soon." Dosu turned and went back the way they came, presumably because Doctor Uchiha's office was on the other side of the hospital. Zaku entered the waiting room, leant his skateboard against the wall and sat cross-legged with Utako in front of him. It was a fairly warm space, not too big, with cream walls and potted plants in each corner. The doors – two on either end – were silver, clinical and functional, and the room was lit by artificial lights. All the chairs were wooden with blue and green cushions stapled on with some coffee tables covered in out-of-date magazines and old Sudoku books.

There was no one else in the waiting room to be bothered by him. He lifted Utako under the armpits and tried to get her to put her feet on the ground, but she was being stubborn and kicking. "Stand," he urged quietly. His research said that babies should be learning to walk at around seven months and she was nearly seven months. It didn't hurt to try to teach her early. She was already sitting up without any help, which was perfectly normal.

He tickled her and she fell into a sitting position while giggling. Her face morphed into an expression of pure happiness and Zaku squeezed her cheek. He checked the clock. Five hours until work at three. Work was so tedious… but necessary.

Two women entered the waiting room and sat for about twenty minutes pretending they weren't watching the teenage boy play with a baby. Zaku ignored their stares and continued crawling around the chairs in a pathetic attempt to hide. The aim was to get Utako to crawl after him, which she did. She had great endurance for a baby.

The women left and Utako curled up on the floor tiredly. Zaku lifted her in his arms and sat on one of the couches, cradling her softly. Dosu said it would take about an hour and it had already been thirty minutes.

Utako's nap was disturbed when two people started arguing outside the waiting room door.

"Dammit Itachi, take me back! I have to be there for him! It's my fault…"

"Hey-hey-hey don't worry. The doctors said that nothing looks broken. I'll keep an eye on him. You just wait here until hahaoya finishes work."

"But he's my best friend!"

"I know. Just wait here and I'll be able to go and see the full diagnosis."

"Okay…"

"I'll be back."

Footsteps receded and the door swung open. Zaku's eyes gravitated to the boy standing in the doorway and he stiffened. Sasuke stiffened too and his eyes flicked down to Utako. Zaku swallowed. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Dare I ask…?"

Sasuke's eyes were rimmed with red and he ran a hand through his hair. He breathed deeply and sat two seats across from Zaku. This wasn't the Sasuke he knew, no, this was a completely different Sasuke. "Naruto was in an accident. He was ahead of me crossing the road and this guy ran a red light. If I'd just… told him to slow down…"

"They took him to the Emergency ward?"

"Hai. The car just clipped him but it looked terrible." So much raw emotion crossed Sasuke's face and he bit his lip. "Who's this?"

"Oh? This is my sister, Utako. Utako, this is Sasuke." She didn't stir and Zaku smiled. "Looks like she's still sleeping." He glanced over at Sasuke, "I'm sure Naruto will be fine. He's a fighter and you said the car just clipped him, so it can't be fatal. With any luck the worst he'll have is a broken bone."

So Naruto was in hospital. Zaku's stomach pulsed with worry for the blonde – after all, Naruto was one of the few who'd shown any kindness to him. Naruto didn't think he was a plague upon this Earth and Zaku wanted to show his support for his situation.

"Hey…" he looked away from Sasuke. "Do you want me to go get some flowers or… something?" He wasn't doing this for Sasuke, but for Naruto. Then again, earning Sasuke's favour would go a long way to keeping his scholarship. Sasuke's chichi practically owned the school and could get Zaku expelled if Sasuke wished it.

Sasuke almost looked surprised at the offer. "You would do that?"

Zaku shrugged. "Naruto's a great kid. A lot of people will worry for him." He stood with the slumbering Utako. "I'll be back soon, there has to be a flower shop nearby. This is a hospital after all."

Sasuke stood and stuck his hand in his pocket. "Here, I have some money." He handed Zaku several coins and sat back down with his eyes to the floor. Zaku left the waiting room, hoping that Dosu wouldn't get back while he was gone. Of all the times for Naruto to be in an accident… it had to be when Zaku was in the hospital. Oh well, at least it gave him an opportunity to gain the Uchihas favour.

He left the hospital and realised that he'd left his skateboard in the waiting room. "Dammit." He brought Utako's little beanie down to cover her ears and tucked her under his jumper so she wouldn't be woken by all the noise. Car horns, engines, people shouting and objects clacking together. Zaku's eyes zeroed in on a flower sign, 'Yamanaka Flower Emporium'. He dodged around a group of careless teenage boys (one of which he was sure he recognised from ANBU Primary) and into the flower shop. A bell jingled and he blinked at the symphony of colours staring down from racks and racks of colourful flowers.

"Welcome!" a familiar voice called. He peered past the flowers and spotted a familiar face. Ino Yamanaka, who hadn't seen him yet, moved around the work bench and up the rows of flowers to a head of spiky brown hair. Zaku quickly pulled Utako from under his jumper. He didn't want to seem suspicious in any way.

"Hey…" two classmates in one day. Whoopee. "I was just hoping for some flowers."

Ino finally saw his face and covered her confusion with a smile. "Hi! Aren't you in my class?"

"Hai."

She brushed a stray strand of blonde behind her ear and smiled again. "Zaku, isn't it? What kind of flowers are you looking for?" He watched her for a moment, taking in the thin blonde hair and pale blue eyes. He'd never talked to her before. At school she was gossipy and annoying but this wasn't the girl he'd labelled. Then again, this was her work environment so she had to be professional.

Then he considered the question. "Something orange."

Ino recited the flowers without second thought. "We have daylilies, daffodils, pomegranates, orange spray roses and tulips. Would you like a bit of everything?"

Zaku checked the money Sasuke gave him. "Just what this can get me." He handed over the coins and Ino rolled them between her fingers thoughtfully. She pocketed the coins, held up a finger, and set about creating a bouquet of orange flowers, sometimes glancing at Utako. Zaku was actually surprised she hadn't brought up the baby yet but was secretly glad she hadn't. He wanted to get through high school without any unwanted attention and if people knew he had a baby sister he foresaw unwanted attention.

Ino handed him a bouquet of daffodils, tulips and daylilies and wiped her hands on her apron, smiling shyly. "Here you go! I hope she likes them!"

Zaku blinked. "Uh… she?"

"Your girlfriend. Who else would you be giving them too?"

He shook his head. "I have a relative in the hospital. He likes orange." The lie was easy.

"Oh… I'm sorry." Ino's eyes flicked down to Utako. "Is she your sister?"

"Hai." The first person to realise that Utako wasn't his child, and it was Ino Yamanaka.

"She's really cute. Have a nice day!" Ino turned and walked to the cashier counter at the back of the shop. Zaku watched her go and left the flower shop with Utako still fast asleep in one hand and the rather alluring bouquet held reverently in the other. Naruto better be happy with it.

Now that he wasn't constantly scanning for a flower shop, Zaku took a minute to study some of the other shops. Maybe he could file something away now that would come in handy later. Like that hairdressers. He'd been cutting his own hair over the bathroom sink since he was ten, which was partly why it was so wild, and maybe he could learn a few things from watching people cut hair. He peered into the shop as he passed and cursed, flushing.

The girl who hated him the most was inside, leaning against one of the counters because her chair was empty and reading a medical book. Sakura's pink hair was clipped back and her brow furrowed thoughtfully as she turned the page of her book. Part-time hairdresser, huh? And she worked just up the road from her best friend. How convenient. Zaku didn't know what to make of Sakura either. The extent of his communication with her was spilling a bunch of stir-fry down her front resulting in Sasuke's hatred to him. So he didn't really like her that much. Girls were so annoying…

He rushed the rest of the way to the hospital and returned to the waiting room. Sasuke was where he'd left him, hunched over in one of the seats with his head in his hands. A young couple were in the room now on the other side. Zaku didn't spare them a glance and sat beside the Uchiha, holding out the bouquet.

"Here."

Sasuke slowly sat up and took the bouquet. "I actually thought you'd taken the money and gone."

Zaku snickered. "Like I would take your money and leave my skateboard behind." He relaxed beside his classmate and stroked Utako's face. "Tell me how Naruto goes, okay? He's a cool guy."

"Hai… he is." Sasuke tightened his grip on the flowers tears welled in his eyes. He boy brushed them away angrily and stood. "I need to go see how he's doing. Thanks."

"All good." Zaku nodded and sighed. Sasuke left the waiting room awkwardly and the brunette relaxed. Utako opened his eyes when the door swung shut and looked up at him questioningly. "Don't look at me like that you little tyke," he cooed, "He's just worried about his friend."

o.O.o

"Sashimi?" Dosu asked. He squashed close to Zaku so they could squeeze past a pair of women who didn't know how to move over. It was particularly squishy because Dosu had his bike at his side too.

"Hai. I haven't had sashimi in _ages_." Damn, he should get a harness or something for Utako. Carrying her around for hours was tiring. He swapped her around with his skateboard to give his left arm a respite.

Dosu tilted his head. "I know a good place nearby. Do you think I should call Kin and invite her?"

"Why didn't you ask her to go to the hospital?" Zaku inwardly winced at the rudeness. It had sounded so much better in his head.

Thankfully the bandaged boy didn't react badly. "I did. Her chichi had a business brunch and dragged her along. She said I should ask you."

Zaku let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Do you think it'd be done now?"

"Only one way to know. Kin has a mobile that she always keeps on her." Dosu looked around and his eyes zeroed in on a pair of public telephone booths. He and Zaku went to one of the booths and Dosu put in some money and typed in the number. Zaku played with Utako while the phone rang.

 _"_ _Hello?"_

"Kin! Hey! How's the brunch going?"

 _"_ _Oh hi Dosu. It's done now thankfully… chichi just brought me along to parade to all his business partners because Fugaku Uchiha was there, Sasuke's chichi. So boring."_

"Well I'm done in the hospital and Zaku and I were going to get sashimi. You wanna join?"

 _"_ _Hai, I'd love to. Where are you eating?"_

"The place really close to the library, _Shushuya_."

 _"_ _I know them! They make a mean yakitori. I'll be there as soon as I can. Bye!"_

"See you soon Kin." Dosu hung up and wiped his hands on his jacket. "You never know how many germs are on those phones."

Zaku chuckled. "About as many as there are on a light switch. Did you know that the toilet seat is one of the cleanest things in your household? Well, other than your plates and cutlery."

"No I did not know that." Dosu grabbed his bike and glanced around. "I think the library is this way…"

o.O.o

 _Shushuya_ was a comfortable-looking shop. Dosu wheeled his bike to the side alley and locked it to a tall pole while Zaku went inside and found a seat at a booth. It was almost lunch time and Utako was shifting restlessly in his arms. Zaku bit his lip. He didn't think he'd be gone so long so he hadn't brought any food for her. Dammit, he should be learning to plan ahead by now.

Dosu joined him and the two boys scanned the menu. The yakitori was tempting, but sashimi was cheaper and ultimately that was what they'd come for. Zaku decided for the cheapest option: sardines.

"What did the doctor say?" Zaku asked. The bandaged boy looked away and sighed.

"The infection has stopped spreading, which is good. But it could get bad again." He fiddled with the edge of the menu. "Sometimes it burns like my skin is on fire. Sometimes it gets really itchy like a rash and I have to scratch. But it's getting better if I take care of it properly."

"And you were born with it?"

"Hai. It's a rare thing but it happens. Doctor Uchiha has only ever seen one other case. I can never remember what it's called though." For some reason that amused Dosu. Zaku couldn't imagine living with such a disease that disfigured most of his face permanently, nor the hunchback. His friend was unfortunate.

They both looked at the door as Kin entered. Zaku did a double-take. This wasn't the Kin he knew from school, the one with jeans and a jacket. This Kin wore a ruffled skirt, a pretty shirt, make-up and her hair was actually tied in a bun. What was it with girls surprising him today?

She spotted them and made her way over. "Hey guys," she greeted, squeezing into the booth beside them. "Nice jumper Zaku. A little morbid though."

"It was free," he defended.

"Whatever. It's a step-up from the hoodie." She pulled out her hair and sighed as it flowed free. "So much better… you wouldn't believe how bad chichi was parading me in front of those guys. A couple of them brought their own children to the brunch too. Sasuke wasn't there though, which was great."

"Sasuke was at the hospital." The words just slipped out.

Kin and Dosu both stared. "What?" she asked.

"Um… Naruto was in an accident while with Sasuke and they were at the hospital. I spoke with Sasuke in the waiting room."

"Oh gosh, is Naruto okay?" Dosu asked.

"Hai, the car just clipped him apparently. He should be at school on Monday." Utako opened her mouth and wailed and Zaku clamped a hand over her mouth. "Can we order now? I need to feed her."

"Oh, hai, sure." Kin scanned the menu. "What are you getting?"

"Sardines."

"Tuna."

"I'll have salmon." She stood, Dosu handed her some money, and she went to the counter to order. She was sitting for all of two minutes before the sashimi chef brought their plates over. They thanked him and he left.

"So much cheaper than ramen," Dosu commented as he took a bite, "but just as good." He dipped his tuna in the soy sauce and chowed down.

Zaku broke off a bit of sardine and coerced Utako into eating it. She teethed it down and opened her mouth for more. Her brother made sure that the pieces were so small that she wouldn't have to chew because her teeth were only just starting to grow. Only after she'd had a full piece did he eat some with the wasabi.

"This is delicious." Kin smiled. "I'm so glad I showed it to you, Dosu."

"You've eaten here before?" The brunette boy frowned at that.

"Well it took a while for you to open up to us. We went out on the weekends for food and stuff." Kin shrugged and smiled. "But you're here now, and Utako too."

Zaku noticed that Utako was eyeing Kin's salmon intensely. "Hey Kin, it looks like the little tyke wants to try some salmon. Can she?"

"Can she _please_? And hai, she can. Pass her over." Kin held out her arms and Zaku placed Utako in them. He'd let Sai hold her so Kin shouldn't be any different. He and Dosu watched as Kin peeled a bit of salmon off one of her sashimi slices and fed it to the expectant baby. Utako gobbled it down eagerly.

"Looks like she likes the expensive stuff," Zaku commented. "That's not good. I need to buy some food for myself you know!"

"She'll be the death of you," Kin giggled. She fed Utako one more piece of salmon before handing her back to Zaku. "Here, you know how to hold her better than I do."

"Sometimes too much. She gets heavy." Zaku shifted her around to a comfortable position. "What do you think about the Science project on Wednesday? I'm not really looking forward to working with someone other than you both."

"Aw, how nice of you!" Kin chuckled. "I don't really care, honestly. Just as long as we get given a good topic."

"Imagine if we could choose our own topic," Dosu said absently.

"We have to be Kage level for that to happen," Kin told them. "Even then, we have to specialise in a Science for that to happen. You know, Biology, Chemistry or Physics."

"The basics taught in school." Zaku nodded to himself. "Do either of you want to do Science in your Kage year?"

"Maybe," Dosu said.

"Hello _no_." Kin laughed. "I want to be a musician, but I'll probably end up in business so Science is irrelevant."

Thinking of the future was something Zaku had never liked doing. He preferred to deal with things as they came, as planning for the future was useless in his eyes. The future was unpredictable. He could end up moving to Tokyo for all he knew. Anything could happen. Even thinking of next week made his head hurt. A week was too far away. Sure, he could make _plans_ in case something happened a week from now, but he could never know for sure.

As for studying Science? He probably wouldn't choose it in Kage year. In his final year of high school he could pick his subjects (minus Literacy and Numeracy which were mandatory) so he would study five or six subjects, three or four of his choosing.

Kin's words made Zaku think. "What did your chichi say about you becoming a nanny?"

"I made my case and he agreed. I said that becoming a nanny would give me experience with children and prepare me for when I became a hahaoya. He saw the logic in that, but he said I could only do it for six months and then after that I would intern at his company." She sighed. "Only six months. I'll try to negotiate for more because I _really_ don't want to intern for him."

In a way, Zaku felt sorry for Kin. She had so much pressure, where he had none, and she wasn't able to make her own decisions. He'd resented her for having parents at first, but her family situation made him glad for his own.

They finished their sashimi and went out into the streets, grabbing their transportation. Zaku checked the time. One o'clock. He had to get home before work.

"I need to get home," he told his friends. "I've got work in a couple hours."

They nodded and said their farewells. Zaku tucked Utako under his arm and skated away, back to familiar streets. A warm feeling bubbled in his stomach when he reached his apartment, the feeling that only Dosu and Kin could elicit from him.

Happiness.


	12. Chapter 11

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 11**

Zaku woke at five o'clock to Utako's wails. He rolled over and shoved his pillow over his head in the hope that the sound would go away. It didn't. He groaned and dragged himself from bed and over to the crib.

He blinked. Utako was standing and clutching at the side of the crib as she cried. _Standing_. How long had she been practicing her new skill before now? Zaku gripped her sides and pulled her into his arms.

"Hey sweetie, what's the problem?" he cooed. "Are you hungry?" Her growling stomach answered that question. "Come on, let's get you some food."

He was tired. So tired. The sun was only just coming up outside, tinting the rooms grey. The light from the fridge blinded Zaku as he hunted around for some food. There was only one container left, he would have to blend some more when he got home from work tonight.

She accepted the food eagerly without playing. She must have been hungry, understandable since she hadn't eaten much the night before. Still, she could have waited another hour before deciding she was hungry. There were still three hours before he had to go to school and Utako wasn't likely to get back to sleep.

After feeding her, Zaku took her to bed. It was her problem if she didn't want to sleep. But she seemed to sense his tiredness and lay quietly while her brother wrapped an arm around her and fell back asleep.

o.O.o

A headache plagued him all through HPE. It was odd because he rarely had headaches or got sick or anything like that. His living situation and diet ensured that he was in top physical condition for a boy of his age, so sickness was something rare.

He was just tired. That was probably it.

On Wednesday's he had Science after HPE and this week they were starting their projects. He wasn't looking forward to it, given that he didn't like a lot of people in his class. Maybe he would be partnered with Naruto? That would be nice.

After morning tea (in which Kin bought food from the canteen and gave her packed food to him) their trio entered the Science classroom somewhat nervously. Orochimaru sat at his desk observing them in that creepy way of his with his hands locked together and a slight smile. They took their usual seat and waited as the classroom filled around them.

Everyone was present and Orochimaru raised a hand for silence. They were all too scared to continue talking.

"I'm sure you're all aware that today you receive your project for the next week," he said smoothly, "and I won't deprive you of knowing who your partner is. When I finish the names, please move to sit with your partner, and as we have an odd number there will be one group of three."

"Please don't let the group of three be me," Kin murmured to Zaku.

"Sasuke and Yoroi. Shino and Zaku. Kankuro and Misumi. Sakura and Ino. Temari and Tenten. Shikamaru and Kin. Naruto and Kiba. Neji and Hinata. Gaara and Lee. Dosu, Choji and Kabuto."

Kin groaned. "I'm stuck with the laziest guy in the class?"

Dosu groaned. "I'm in the group of three?"

Zaku groaned. "I'm with that weird bug guy?"

They banged their heads against the desk in unison. Then they stood and went to join their partner/s.

Zaku sat beside Shino and folded his arms. His only interaction with the other boy came from being attacked by bees a week ago and it was hardly the best starting point. Shino looked as awkward as Zaku felt and it didn't bode well for their project.

Orochimaru clapped his hands and drew everyone's attention. He handed a pile of papers to Kabuto who started handing them out. "Each pair has a different topic to research and form a presentation for. Topics will be given out randomly so you get the luck of the draw."

Zaku accepted a sheet of paper and skimmed the title. 'The Effects of Genetic Modification of Food in Japan'. He handed it to Shino and pursed his lips. Great, they got a boring subject. He knew nothing about genetic modification and he was supposed to learn everything about it in a week? Science was officially one of the worst subjects.

"You have the rest of the double to organise and begin researching," Orochimaru said.

The two boys sat silently for a moment. Zaku decided to take initiative. "So do you know anything about genetic modification?"

"Hai, I know a little bit. The paper says the presentation needs to be two minutes long. I think we'll be able to talk about when genetic modification was introduced, how it was introduced and what effects it's having on our food production. If you research when and how it was introduced, I can do the rest."

Straight to the point. If that's how it was going to be… "Sounds good."

"We should get to the library. We only have four classes to get this entire presentation done."

The boys stood and left the classroom. Some of the other pairs had the same idea and they walked behind Gaara and Lee. Lee was enthusiastically fast-walking and blabbering about the human anatomy while Gaara hunched his shoulders and kept his head facing forwards. Zaku wasn't too fond of Lee, but Gaara was just an ass. The tattoo on his forehead was quite intimidating too. He seemed a little less angry when Naruto was around, however. Maybe the blonde boy was having an effect on the redhead too.

There were only a few people in the library. Shino and Zaku grabbed a couple computers in one corner and booted them up. Zaku's computer skills weren't very refined but at least he remembered his account password after a few _Incorrect Password_ 's. He opened an internet page and began his research.

o.O.o

"I seriously considered blowing off study period just so I could leave school," Zaku told Kin. She opened her locker, shoved a couple books in her bag and shouldered it.

"It's a good thing you didn't," she said in a low voice, "because the Principal was skulking around the school looking for waggers. I saw her on my way to the bathroom and she nearly gave me detention."

Zaku shouldered his bag and looked aside as Dosu joined them. "Heading home?" he asked.

"Hai, I have to walk Eko." The bandaged boy entered the code for his locker. "What are you both doing this afternoon?"

"Work," Zaku replied.

"I was thinking about going to look at new keys for my keyboard," Kin said. "You have keys at _Oto Music_ , right Zaku?"

"That's right."

"Well, if you're on your way there anyway do you mind if I tag along?"

"Sure, I don't mind. I have to stop and get Utako though."

They farewelled Dosu and left the school, walking a bit faster so Zaku could get to work on time. Kin usually caught the bus home and she had no idea where they were going. Zaku was happy to lead the way and listen to her chatter about random things – it was a nice change from skating along with his earphones in. Even if he barely uttered a word.

Outside the Day-care, Zaku asked Kin to wait outside while he went in and collected Utako. He entered the building and smiled shyly at a pair of middle-aged women collecting their children. The ladies smiled back, looked at each other, and giggled. He blinked and squished past to the register to sign off Utako. She was sleeping when he entered the nursery, but woke when he picked her up.

"Baba," she gurgled quietly. He kissed her forehead and left the Day-care, waving to Haku when he passed. Haku took note of the baby in the teenager's arms and waved back.

"Hey Utako," Kin greeted as they joined her.

"Ki!" the baby squealed, now fully awake.

"Ki?"

"Oh, it's sort of like her pet name for you. I'm Baba and Dosu is Dasa. You're Ki. You should, uh, get used to it."

"I think I could get used to it. She's so cute!"

"You don't have to change her nappy…" Zaku muttered.

They arrived at _Oto Music_ two minutes before Zaku started work and Sai was already there. The black-haired boy raised an eye at the girl but otherwise didn't comment. Zaku put Utako in the backroom with her teddy and heard her stomach growl. Whoops. Good thing he had a container wrapped in a tea towel at the bottom of his schoolbag for situations like this.

"I'll feed you as soon as I get Kin her keys, okay sweetie?" He kissed her forehead and shut the door behind him.

Kin was already looking at keyboards when he joined her. She played around with the newest one they had, fiddling around with the settings and testing out the notes. "Maybe I should get a new keyboard instead… my one now is all old and worn because I play it so much."

Zaku immediately shook his head. "You should just replace the keys. The one you have has so much memory attached to it – it'd be a shame for it to go to waste."

She glanced at him and smiled. "See? This is why we're friends. You think right."

It took a minute for them to hunt down the right fit for her keyboard and put it through the scanner. Then Utako started crying and they retreated to the backroom to feed her, completely unaware of Sai's scrutiny.

"Hey there, come on, I've got food." Zaku held out a spoonful of blended vegetables and the baby bit down eagerly, her hands grabbing at his clothes. Kin watched the scene with an expression of longing.

"I always wanted a sibling," she sighed. "Chichi wanted a son too, but hahaoya had complications with me and she can't have any more kids."

"They're a handful."

"Only if you have to take care of them. If I had a brother around my age I think chichi would be less harsh on me." Anger flashed across her face. "He wants to send me to ANBU to get me away from you and Dosu. He doesn't like you guys much."

"Well we were kind of forced together."

"I tried to tell him that and he actually went to Principal Tsunade! But she told him that the group system was permanent and I couldn't change, so he's threatening to send me to ANBU unless I stop hanging out with you guys."

Zaku snorted. "He can't control you."

"Try telling him that." She rubbed her face and played with her hair absent-mindedly. "At least I'm getting some money working as a nanny so he can't complain about that. But it's only buying me time until he makes me intern for him. And now there's the added stress of ANBU."

"Sai goes to ANBU. You could ask him what it's like."

"Didn't you go there?"

"ANBU Primary, hai, and I hated it. But Sai likes it well enough except for…" He trailed off, his mind flicking to the five teenagers that had entered the shop a week before. "Let's just say that all richer schools have kids who are richer than others and think that their parents' money means they can do anything they want."

"So… bullies."

"Pretty much."

"I'm so glad we don't have bullies at Kohona. I mean, we have some annoying kids who aren't really nice to anyone but that doesn't count. They don't go out of their way to be mean to people."

That was true. Sasuke completely ignored Zaku until the incident with Sakura, and after HPE the other week the Uchiha had been purposely avoiding him (maybe Naruto had talked some sense into him). "I get the feeling Principal Tsunade wouldn't tolerate bullying well." He corrected himself, "At all. She wouldn't tolerate it at all."

Kin tugged at a strand of hair. "I don't want to go to ANBU. The deal was that I went to all his events and business things as long as I could go to Kohona. It's one of the few times I won an argument with him."

Zaku considered this. "Well you should just do what makes you happy. Stay at Kohona if that's what you want and your chichi will have to respect that. You're not a kid anymore."

"But I'm not fourteen yet. I still have five months until my birthday."

Right… Zaku's birthday was at the beginning of the year, a few weeks before school started, so he was one of the oldest in the grade. Most of the others were still thirteen. Sometimes he felt so much older than all of them. "You're so young." His voice was light-hearted, turning it into a kind-of-joke. Kin smiled at the sad attempt.

"Thanks. Oh, and I'm starting karate."

"At my dojo?"

"Hai. Hahaoya said it was good that I had something to do with my spare time. She gave me money for three lessons a week. I'm thinking Monday, Tuesday and Friday."

"You could do more than one class a day. Monday has two beginner classes."

"Okay, I'll do two on Monday and one on Friday."

Zaku smiled at that. "Sensei Jiraiya asked me if leading the Friday class could become a permanent thing so I'll be at the four o'clock class."

"Dosu's thinking about doing one class a week but he doesn't know if he can afford it."

"Maybe he could ask his hahaoya and say that it'll get him out of the house for over an hour so she doesn't have to put up with him."

"Makes sense…"

In some ways, Dosu's situation was the worst. He was being neglected by his hahaoya and she verbally abused him all the time, calling him ugly and useless. That kind of thing wasn't good for a kid to hear.

"It'd be good if you both started karate. I could teach you heaps of things that you wouldn't learn until you reached a higher belt."

"How long have you done it?"

"I don't even know… quite a few years." Zaku finished feeding Utako and placed her in her cardboard box with her teddy. He stuffed the container and spoon back into his bag.

Someone knocked on the backroom door. It swung open and Sai stuck his head in. "There's a guy here who wants to talk to both of you."

Zaku and Kin stood and left the room. They blinked in surprise at Dosu standing beside the front counter with a cute Kishu puppy curled in his arms. The puppy was clearly only a few months old, with a short white fluffy coat and all its puppy fat.

"Hey guys," Dosu greeted. There was something wrong with his voice. Zaku did a quick once-over and noted specks of blood on his bandages where his mouth was.

Sai held the backroom door open. "I'll let you guys talk."

"Thanks Sai." Zaku nodded at his co-worker and he and his friends entered the backroom. The door clicked shut.

Kin grabbed Dosu's shoulders. "What happened?"

Dosu hung his head and pulled the bandages away from his mouth. His lip was cut and bleeding and a nasty swell covered his one good cheek. "Hahaoya had a visitor. Some drunkard who 'pays well'. I walked in after school to get Eko, interrupted them, and he beat me. Eko tried to protect me and got kicked. I can't afford to take him to the vet." He tightened his grip on the puppy. "I couldn't think of anywhere else to go."

He made it sound so casual. Then again, those bandages served a double-purpose and it probably happened all the time. Honestly, compared to his friends, Zaku's problems weren't bad. He stared at the blood and the bruise and dug around his bag for a tissue. His hands closed around the plastic packet and he handed it to his friend.

"Thank you." Dosu pulled one out and wiped the blood from his mouth. He pulled his bandages back to cover his face.

Kin held out her hand. "We're here for you."

He took it and squeezed gently. "You guys are great, I mean it."

"Do you want me to go to the vet with you?" Kin asked. "I can pay."

"Normally I would say no, but this is Eko…" Dosu looked at the puppy with eyes filled with love. "I'd do anything for Eko."

Zaku understood that. He looked at the cardboard box where Utako slept and shared the same sentiment. He looked at the Kishu puppy. Eko curled into a white fluff ball, his breathing raspy.

"You should go now before the local vet closes," he told them.

"Hai." Dosu stood, cradling his puppy close, and he and Kin left the backroom. Zaku followed them and waved half-heartedly as they left _Oto Music_.

Kin turned back. "We'll see you at school tomorrow!" she called.

"See you then!" Zaku called back. He turned back into the shop and sat behind the front counter. Sai leant against the wall nearby, doodling in his sketchbook.

"I won't ask," the Uchiha said.

"That'd be great."


	13. Chapter 12

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 12**

This Saturday was different to most Saturdays. On normal Saturdays Zaku would do his shopping and wander around the apartment until work, but today he wasn't wandering around.

He was at the dojo for a grading.

Utako was at home with Kin. He'd gotten his friend to agree to babysit for the morning free of charge (he couldn't afford it anyway) so he could do the grading without worrying about her in the crowd.

It was strange, being at the dojo without Utako. Ever since she'd entered his life he'd brought her everywhere but school. To be at the dojo without her was… different. He wasn't sure if it was good or bad yet and he didn't think he would ever decide which it was. Good because he didn't have the added worry if she was okay or not, and bad because he had the added worry if she was okay or not.

Jiraiya and Tsunade were conversing with a group of parents when Zaku arrived on his skateboard. He put it in its usual spot, along with his shoes, and squished past a group of excited young kids. A few other teenagers stood at the back of the dojo but he ignored them and sat by himself in a good spot where he had a decent view of the gradings when they started.

At nine o'clock Jiraiya called for all white- to orange-belts to come onto the mats. All the spectators sat on the edges of the mats while the people grading lined up in order of rank. A section of mats had been taken away and a table and chairs sat there instead. Jiraiya and Tsunade took position behind the table and the grading began.

Someone tapped Zaku's shoulder and he started and spun around. A familiar smile filled his view.

"Zaku!" Naruto whispered, sliding beside him. "I had no idea you came here."

"I come Fridays."

"Mondays and Thursdays. That'd be why I haven't seen you." Naruto's eyes dropped to Zaku's blue-belt. "Nice, blue-belt."

Naruto wore a green-belt white-stripe. "Not bad yourself. You hoping to double-grade?"

The blonde snickered. "Even if I double-graded I wouldn't be higher than you. I've only been doing it for two years though."

"Dunno how long, but a lot longer than two years. Started when I was, like, seven or something." Zaku eyed the people grading as they began moving through the basic punches, stepping and blocks. "In all honesty, these people are terrible."

"I know. Look, their elbows are popping out, stance is weak, eyes all over the place. They have no idea what they're doing."

Zaku flushed. He'd been that bad when he started, so had Naruto probably. "How did it go by the way? The hospital? You were at school on Monday."

"Oh… well I went into surgery for a scan, some stitches and I had a concussion, but the doctors discharged me after three hours. I was right to go back to school as long as I took it easy."

"That was only a week ago. You're okay for a grading?"

Naruto gave him a 'duh' look. "If I miss this grading I have to wait two more months for the next one. Why would I wait when I'm ready now?"

Zaku looked back over at the people grading. He knew why he started karate: fitness and an interest in the sport. But he'd never taken interest in why other people had started, not everyone had the same reasons as him. "So Naruto… why did you start?"

"Boredom. I didn't have anything to do some afternoons and this place was cheap so I was like 'Why not?' I mean, it's a great dojo. I tried out at the Uchiha dojo once and it sucked. I honestly have no idea why they've tried bringing Jujitsu into Japan, it won't catch on."

"Karate's so much better," Zaku agreed. "More traditional and fun."

He glanced at the blonde before returning his attention to the karate students. Naruto was a mystery to him, one that he couldn't help but feel drawn to. Being around him was a relief, it was so easy to relax and talk. He had this aura of approachableness and Zaku opened up to him so easily without feeling stupid. Knowing someone like Naruto was a rare blessing – there were very few good people in the world and the blonde was one of them. No wonder people like Sasuke and that Gaara kid found it so easy to open up around him.

The grading continued and the boys watched in silence. Zaku spent the time analysing peoples' technique and learning their flaws. He saw a few kids from the Friday three o'clock class grading and they performed slightly better than the others (not to brag, but they were good because he'd taught them). There were still faults, of course, as everyone had faults, but they had a good grasp of the basics and it wasn't absolutely painful to watch. There was this one kid who was horrendous. How he made it to yellow-belt was a mystery, but he obviously wouldn't grade. To put it plainly, he sucked.

After the white- to orange-belts finished their grading, Jiraiya called green- and blue-belts to the mats. Zaku and Naruto stood and joined eight other people in the line. Zaku was at the head of the line, while Naruto was third from the end. They took five minutes to stretch and get their joints loosened up.

Jiraiya stood in front of the line and Tsunade stood to his left. She used her tough voice. " _Shomani, rei_." The line bowed to the front. " _Sensei-ni, rei_."

" _Onegeshimasu_."

Jiraiya and Tsunade moved around the desk and sat. Zaku stood to attention. " _Uchi hachi dachi, yoi_. Stepping forward basic _chudan_ punch."

The sensei counted and Zaku moved forward with each count, punching body-height and focusing on fast pull-back. After a lap of that, they did a lap of _yaku zuki_ (reverse punch) and a lap of _shiko zuki_ ( _shiko dachi_ punch). After that they went through kicking and a few advanced stances before pairing off for bunkai. Zaku grabbed Naruto for a partner and they went through several junior bunkai as well as one senior one, _rinten_ bunkai (for Zaku's blue-belt level).

Then the green-belts walked up to perform their grading kata and the blue-belts sat back and watched. Zaku forced himself to watch Naruto's kata without analysing it but couldn't help think of places where the blonde could tweak his target, or have more focus. It was natural to think of how he could improve and he made a mental note to tell Naruto what he picked up after the grading.

After the green-belts sat down, Jiraiya called the blue-belts up. Zaku took his position at the front and performed his grading kata, _kihon kata san_. Once he finished the sequence, he prepared to sit down but Jiraiya called him back.

"Zaku, I want you to perform _shiho wari, shimeno kata and shiho hai_."

That was unexpected, but he was intending to double-grade today so it was understandable. He performed the first kata, _shiho wari_ , and focused on speed and hips. For _shimeno kata_ he focused on relaxing and going through the motions smoothly. For _shiho hai_ (the first senior kata anyone learnt) he took his time to make sure each strike had an end point. When he finished, he stood to attention and tried to ignore the scratching of Jiraiya's pen. That scratching could decide if he graded or not.

Finally, Tsunade looked up. "Alright, push-up, sit-up and squat-kick time. Green-white-stripe, twenty-five. Green, thirty. Blue-white-stripe, thirty-five. Blue, forty. Get started."

Zaku got on his hands and feet and pumped out forty push-ups. Each one weakened him and sweat beaded down from under his headband. His arms shook. Thirty-seven. He'd have to start training in push-ups every morning and night to condition his arms to the pressure. Thirty-eight. Start with ten, then each week add another ten. Thirty-nine. And he'd do sit-ups and squat-kicks too. Forty.

His arms collapsed and he rolled onto his back, panting. Everyone else was already on sit-up and he hurried to catch up. He'd always been good at sit-ups and had the abs to prove it. Naruto was powering through his conditioning and he and Zaku finished their sit-ups at the same time and stood for squat-kicks.

The ultimate test for leg strength. The lactic acid would build up in Zaku's legs with each squat and he'd feel the burn. It was a good burn and sometimes it brought about this strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, like a thirst that couldn't be quenched. He had that feeling today and it rose to the back of his throat. His legs burned. He could taste oil in his mouth. Thirty-nine. Forty.

There. He'd done it. Finished. Complete. He stood to attention and tried to catch his breath. To his left, the rest of the people grading did the same.

Everyone graded. Zaku double-graded to purple-belt. He gladly put his blue-belt in the second-hand box and accepted a purple-belt from Jiraiya. The belt was second-hand, therefore cheaper, and Zaku was able to pay the money for it. If it were a new belt he couldn't afford it. Paying for the new belt just meant he had no money to put away in his savings. Things were getting more expensive all the time…

He tied up his new belt and grinned at Naruto's green-belt. "Nice job! I don't know about you, but I hate the striped belts. It's like you're not good enough for the full colour."

"I feel your pain. The solid colour feels more like an actual achievement. Still, I kinda miss my orange belt. It was a nice colour." Naruto tugged on both ends of his new belt to fully tighten it. "So where's your sister?"

"I have a nanny," he said.

"Oh, so that means you don't have to rush home?"

"Hai."

"You wanna get some ramen? I get free bowls."

Zaku considered this. A free meal wouldn't be bad, but they couldn't take long. He had to grab some things at the shops before he got home anyway.

"Let's go."

o.O.o

Zaku tucked into his pork ramen enthusiastically, pleased that his classmate worked at the shop. If he got free ramen from work he'd probably be living off the stuff.

They'd received so many weird looks from people they passed by because they both wore their gi, Zaku wore his blue skate shoes and Naruto his orange converse. Naruto had this little scooter and Zaku had his skateboard so they halved the time getting to the ramen shop.

"So good…" the brunette moaned. "If I get free ramen from hanging out with you I think I'll do it more."

"Nice to know you don't just like my company," Naruto said sarcastically. "You know, if I didn't work here I think I'd be their best customer."

The owner, Teuchi, bounced along the counter so he was in front of the boys. "How's the ramen? Enjoying it?"

Zaku smiled at the cheerful man. "It's delicious, thank you."

"Good as ever boss!" Naruto agreed.

"I see you graded." Teuchi nodded at the new belt around his employee's waist.

"That I did. So did Zaku. I didn't know we both did chito-ryu until today when we were at the grading."

Teuchi took in the gi, headband and wild hair. "Ah, you're the boy with the baby sister. I thought I recognised you."

A rather pretty girl appeared behind Teuchi and tapped his shoulder. "Chichi, Fugaku Uchiha is on the phone for you." She held out a phone and Teuchi took it.

"Oh, hai. Thank you." The man went to the back of the shop and raised the phone to his ear.

The girl smiled at Naruto. "Good job! I knew you would grade, it's all you've been talking about for a week!" She glanced at Zaku. "Who's your friend?"

"Ayame, this is Zaku, he goes to my dojo and school. Zaku, this is Ayame and she works here too." Naruto grinned widely and Zaku averted his gaze from Ayame. Pretty girls made him nervous.

"Hello Zaku." She smiled and bowed her head. "Did you grade too?"

"Hai."

She looked back at Naruto. "You really like bringing your friends here don't you?" At Zaku's confused look she elaborated. "Well there's that guy in his group, Sasuke, and that redhead boy. They're broth regulars here now because of Naruto. He's so good for business!"

Naruto blushed. "I just spread the word, the customers keep coming back because of your cooking."

Oh well. At least he should be happy that he was considered Naruto's friend. "The ramen is great, thank you."

"And he's so polite!" Ayame laughed. "I think that gets you a smidge of green tea ice-cream on the house when you're done your food."

He blinked. "Uh…"

"Hey, we're not big on ceremony here." She reached behind the counter and pulled out a card. "With this card, if you get six bowls of ramen you get one for free. I'll mark off the one you're having now!"

As Ayame went to get a pen, Zaku turned and gaped at Naruto. "I want to work here. It's awesome."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and picked around his ramen for some pork. "It's pretty good. I've had all my birthdays here. Sasuke didn't like ramen until I brought him here! And you know Gaara? He's actually cool."

"I don't see how."

Naruto held up a finger, brought his bowl to his lips and slurped down the rest of his ramen. "What I'm about to say should not be shared with anyone."

"Got it."

"Okay, so you know about Gaara's chichi, Rasa Sabaku."

"Hai…"

"Rasa and Gaara's hahaoya married and were trying to have a child. Nothing happened for ages and Rasa got impatient and started… finding mistresses. It went on for a few months until his wife found out she was pregnant."

"Oh that's low."

"Hai, he stopped the affairs as soon as she found out she was pregnant but it was a bit late. She died in childbirth with Gaara. A week later, his two affairs approached him with children that were his and dumped them on him. Temari and Kankuro. Rasa was forced to raise three kids and manage his plant and they didn't have the best childhood. They came to Kohona because they caused too much trouble t ANBU. Gaara has never had a friend."

"I find him scary."

"He doesn't mean to be. If you took the time to know him you'd find out." Naruto clicked his fingers. "A bunch of people from our grade are going to Kiba's property tomorrow for a barbecue. You're welcome to come if you want."

Zaku shook his head. "I have work and I can't skip. I have to pay the bills and Sunday's my biggest day."

"Makes sense." Naruto smiled. "Maybe another time?"

"Maybe." Zaku glanced up at the clock. "I should be getting home." He finished his ramen and paid the chopsticks across the mouth of the bowl. "Thank you for the ramen, it was delicious."

"No problem. We both deserved a treat."

While getting a pen, Ayame had had to serve another customer. She re-joined the boys and handed Zaku the card. "Off already?"

"I have to get home. Thank you for the ramen." Zaku bowed his head and reached under his stool for his skateboard.

"Until next time." Ayame and Naruto both waved. Zaku moved away from the shop and got a running start before skating away.

He thought about what Naruto had said about the Sabaku siblings. Sure, they were scary, but he could understand why now. Same reason as Dosu: neglect. But Dosu was quiet about it where the siblings flaunted their disdain for everything. Maybe he could make more of an attempt to be nicer to the new students. As far as he knew, the only people to make real attempts to be friendly to Gaara were Naruto and Lee. A lesson he'd learnt from Kin and Dosu was that kindness did wonderful things. Their kindness had changed him for the better. So had Naruto's. It was only fair to share it around and maybe make someone's day better.

He made a quick stop at the shops on his way home to stock up on bread, milk and cereal. A few minutes after, he arrived back at his apartment and climbed the steps. He knocked on his door and waited until Kin opened it. There was something odd about that, someone else answering his own door.

She opened it and smiled. "Zaku! You were a bit longer than I thought."

He stared. Why was she… wearing his clothes? "Turns out Naruto does chito-ryu too. We went and got ramen after."

"Purple-belt, good job!"

"Thanks. So how was Utako?" He entered his apartment and closed the door.

"She was very well-behaved. I gave her a small snack at around ten and played with her a bit, then she vomited on me so I washed her, had a quick shower, put my clothes in the laundry and kinda put on yours… sorry about that."

"She's never thrown up on anyone before."

Kin blushed. "Well, maybe I was playing a bit too rough after she ate."

Zaku looked her up and down. His baggy grey shirt, denim shorts that were too big for her, and her own hairband holding back damp locks. Something stirred in his chest and he looked away, suddenly nervous. What was he supposed to do when there was a girl wearing his clothes standing in his apartment?

"And… where is she now?"

"Sleeping."

Zaku glanced away. "I'll get your stuff from the machine and hang it up. It should be dry by the time I have to go to work." They had three hours, which was definitely enough.

He retreated down to the basement and lugged her damp clothes to the line outside. Then he returned to his apartment and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. He looked down at Utako, fast asleep in her crib, and kissed her forehead.

Kin reclined on his couch with her phone. It was weird having her here. So… personal. He cleared his throat. "Are you hungry?"

"I can eat when I get home."

"I'll make you something." Zaku opened his fridge and pantry in quick succession. "Well, I have rice or noodles… or a sandwich."

"Uh, the rice sounds good." She looked back down at her phone, a light pink tinge on her cheeks.

Zaku grabbed out a bunch of ingredients for a curry. He worked efficiently to get the rice on the boil and the sauce mixed. Because it was a guest, he used a bit of extra chicken.

"How do you like your curry? Spicy?"

"Not really. I don't have much of a taste for spices."

Her phone blared as she started watching a video. A music video. Zaku frowned at the heavy metal beat, unable to pick up any guitar under the drums. The chicken spat in the pan and nipped his arm. He jumped at the sudden heat and shook his head.

"What, don't you like the music?"

He was quick to correct her. "It's… interesting, but I was jumping at the chicken. It spat on me."

She laughed. "I hate when that happens."

The atmosphere became less tense as he cooked. Kin moved through a succession of songs (apparently she was on the internet using her phones mobile data) and occasionally she came over to show Zaku a funny video she'd found online.

He made just enough curry for both of them. Kin relaxed on the couch while he ate at the kitchen counter.

"This is really good," she commented after a few bites.

He shrugged. "I've had a lot of practice."

"Ramen and curry, you're such a fatty."

"I'm a growing boy."

"Have you ever watched any anime?"

"No…"

"I watch this one, _Inuyasha_ , it's about this girl who gets transported into the Sengoku period and meets up with a half-demon and they kill people and kick butt. It's pretty cool."

"I've heard a lot of anime is stupid."

"Some of it is, like _Tokyo Mew Mew_ and _Ouran High School Host Club_ , but quite a bit of it is decent. _Darker than Black_ is one of the best ones I've ever watched."

"I have honestly never watched anime. Or a lot of movies for that matter. I grew up without all that stuff and couldn't get into it." Zaku took their bowls and cutlery to the kitchen and poured boiled water into the sink to begin washing up.

"Thank you for coming today," he said quietly. "It was decent of you."

Kin smiled. "Hey, I like Utako and you're my friend. I'm happy to babysit whenever."

He couldn't let her do that. He had his pride. "I'll consider it."

She held out her phone. "I still have half the battery. Do you want to watch the first episode of _Inuyasha_?"

A cry echoed from his bedroom. "Maybe later." Zaku retrieved his sister from her crib and sat cross-legged on the living room carpet.

"Baba." She looked so happy to see him, even in her tired state. He kissed her forehead and held her close.

"Hey sweetie, I missed you today. How was your morning with Ki?"

"Ki," the baby echoed. Well, she wasn't really a baby anymore. At nearly eight months she was a toddler.

"I'll go and check if my clothes are dry." Kin discarded her phone and left the apartment. Zaku stared at the closed front door for a moment and looked back down at his sister. She stared at him strangely.

"What? What's with that look huh?"

She stared.

"Please stop."

And stared.

"Do you know something I don't? Seriously?"

And stared.

"You're being really creepy."

"Baba Ki!"

"Now you're talking nonsense."

"Ki."

"You're weird. I'm disowning you."

"Baba!"

"Okay, no I won't. You're too annoying and no one else would want you."

She fell silent and stared.

"You're not gonna stop, are you?"

And stared. He mimed eating and her eyes flicked to his hands.

"Ah, you're hungry! Wait until Kin gets back and we'll feed you."

"I heard my name." The door swung open and Kin strolled through holding her clothes. "Are you two talking behind my back?"

"We were talking about you, not to you. Utako is hungry and I said we'd feed her when you came back." This kind of banter was effortless and enjoyable. It was nice to joke around with someone.

"Sure thing, get everything ready and I'll get dressed." She went into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

He'd never be able to look at his shower the same now that Kin had showered in it. The whole thing was just… weird. Unexplainably weird. Probably because she was a girl.

Kin had dressed very nicely today in a colourful singlet top and a fluttery white skirt. She and Zaku sat side-by-side on the couch and took turns feeding Utako until the _toddler_ was full. Utako started squirming and Zaku obediently put her on the ground and allowed her to crawl around.

"She's learning how to move on her own and she started teething just over a week ago." Zaku put the container of blended vegetables back in the fridge and washed up the spoon.

Kin grabbed her phone and moved to the front door, where her sandals were. "I think I should be heading off. You have to get to work and I have homework that needs doing. I'll see you on Monday?"

"Hai, I'll see you then. And thank you so much for this."

"No problem. Bye!" She waved and left.

Zaku stared at the door. What had he done to deserve people like Naruto and Kin?


	14. Chapter 13

So get ready for a surprise in his chapter. Bet you didn't see this coming!

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 13**

"You ready to present your project?"

"No. Genetic modification is boring."

"At least you're not doing the ecology of the central Indonesian islands."

Zaku winced at Dosu's words. "Okay, yours is officially the worst."

"Thank you." Dosu nodded and reclined in his usual seat. His printed presentation laid on the desk along with Kin's and Zaku's. The three of them were fully prepared for today's Science class, where they would present their partner projects which were half the grade for this term. They were marked on their ability to find and synthesise information, as well as present it effectively.

Orochimaru raised his hand for quiet and presented a hat. "In this hat is all the pairs. I will pick you out at random to present. If you aren't ready to present, poor you." He stuck a gnarled hand into the hat and pulled out a piece of paper. "Temari and Tenten."

The two girls grumbled and stood with their speeches on paper and PowerPoint on a USB. Orochimaru was sitting on the left side of the room, so Zaku stuck an earphone in his right ear and turned his music on a low volume so he could focus on something other than bored voices. He wasn't the only one. A brief glance around showed that Kiba, Gaara, Kankuro and Ino all had the same idea.

He zoned out of the presentation. Shikamaru and Kin presented afterwards, then Sasuke and Yoroi, Neji and Hinata, and Gaara and Lee. Then Zaku and Shino were called up.

"Great…" He stood and moved to the front of the class, moving aside so Shino could set up the PowerPoint. He had no idea how to use any of that tech stuff.

The presentation went alright, he thought. He didn't stumble over his words and spoke them in a bored monotone (seriously, genetic modification was so dull he couldn't muster any excitement whatsoever). Neither could Shino, but Shino always spoke in a bored monotone so it wasn't saying much. No one really paid attention to them and Zaku could tell that even Orochimaru was bored. Everything about this class today was boring.

And they were only in Genin year. There were still over three years to go before the boredom would cease.

"Thank you for listening," Zaku said once they'd finished presenting their evidence. He and Shino returned to their seats and Orochimaru wrote down a few sentences. Then the teacher reached into the hat and pulled out another piece of paper.

"Dosu, Choji and Kabuto."

The trio stood and made their way to the front. Zaku put his earphone back in and reclined in his chair, satisfied that he'd given a good presentation considering their dry subject matter. He cast his gaze around the room aimlessly and it met with Sasuke's.

He froze at the assessing onyx eyes. Sasuke had a strange expression as he watched the brunette – or maybe he was watching the Sabaku siblings, but Zaku was pretty sure Sasuke was looking at him – and they stared at each other for a long moment. Then Sasuke turned back to face the front and Zaku couldn't shake the feeling that he'd been judged. What gave Sasuke the right to judge him, anyway? Did Sasuke have any idea what Zaku had been through? Sasuke had a chichi and hahaoya, he had money and he'd never had to work for anything. Zaku had to work every day to get food in the pantry for him and Utako and no one helped him. No one handed him money.

What Naruto saw in the sour Uchiha was a mystery.

o.O.o

Zaku relaxed in his usual spot and unwrapped his sandwich. He needed more cling-wrap, better put it on the list. What he wouldn't give for a bento right now… Kin seemed to be teasing him with a bento she'd bought from the school canteen. The sushi and sashimi looked absolutely divine.

He gaped when Kin picked out a piece of sushi coated in clownfish eggs and held it out to him. "Here, for the curry on Saturday."

"Thanks." He wasn't stupid enough to turn down free food, despite his pride. When people were willing to give him food his pride disappeared. Only with food though. His pride wouldn't allow him to accept money. He could make his own money.

Dosu joined them with his own sandwich. He'd been quiet since Eko had been to the vet the week previous. Sure, he'd put up a façade, but Zaku could tell that he was really bothered. Eko was fine, though. Dosu had been looking at finding somewhere for Eko to live without fear of his hahaoya's wrath. She'd never liked the puppy, but as long as Dosu paid for it and cleaned up after it she allowed Eko to stay. Now it seemed that her drunkenness was becoming too much. She was a sour woman, as far as Zaku understood. He never wanted to meet her, especially given how she made her money on the side.

How could Dosu be proud to have a hahaoya like her? He was probably as proud of his hahaoya as Zaku was of his. Meaning very little. _Women_. Tch. How many good women did he actually know? There was Kin (obviously), Ayame was somewhat nice and… that was it. Kin was honestly the only good female presence in his life, and Dosu's too. Both of them had been let down by the women in their lives and Kin was there to reinstall their faith.

Strange, he'd never seen it that way before.

She looked sideways at him. "Zaku, are you okay?"

"What?"

"You've been holding the sushi and staring at me since Dosu sat down."

"Oh." He shook his head and smiled. "Sorry, I was just lost in thought."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing much, just thinking about how we're all doing in class."

"We should be doing just fine," Dosu said. "First term's nearly over. We have this week and two weeks after that until school holidays. First and third terms are always too long."

"Hai, I think they're twelve weeks or something," Kin agreed. "And second and fourth term are like, eight weeks."

"I don't know why they do it." Dosu shook his head.

Kin dropped her chopsticks in her bento box and clapped them together. "On the holidays you should both totally come over and we can have an anime marathon!"

"What anime?" Dosu looked up excitedly. "I've watched all of _Yu-Gi-Oh_ , the original as well as the new _Zexal_ one. And I'm up-to-date with _One Piece_."

Kin grinned. "It can't be a long one Dosu. We have to be able to watch all of it in two weeks! I'm thinking we start with _Darker than Black_."

"What about _.hack/Sign_. It wasn't actually that bad."

Kin nodded. "Okay, Zaku what do you think?"

The boy chuckled and shrugged. "I have no idea, but if you think they're worth watching then sure. Whose place?"

"Mine of course." She leant close as if telling a secret. "Chichi is going away on a business trip for a month, starting on our holidays, so he won't be there and I'm sure hahaoya won't mind. My place is the only one with good internet anyways."

"Agreed," Dosu sighed.

"Non-existent," Zaku smirked.

Kin picked up her chopsticks and continued eating. Both boys did the same and Zaku bit into his cheese sandwich tastelessly. Maybe, for a treat, he should get lettuce, chicken and avocado for next week. That sounded delicious. Now the cheese had the texture of cardboard goddammit. He was just about sick of sandwiches.

"How's Utako?" Dosu asked.

"She's fine. How's Eko?"

"He's good, recovering nicely. Hahaoya doesn't even remember what happened." He clenched his fist. "It sucks having a prostitute for a hahaoya."

The word stirred something in Zaku's consciousness. He'd heard it before, but where?

"I don't think it's that bad," Kin said reasonably.

"She sleeps with men for money. Hell, I think there was a woman at one point. Isn't that what a prostitute is?"

Old Sarutobi, when Zaku was eight-years-old, telling the boy how sorry he was that his hahaoya was a prostitute, but how glad he was that she didn't bring her clients to their apartment.

"I know, but she must use the money to help you!"

"Help herself more like. She uses it to buy alcohol and cigarettes."

"My hahaoya was a prostitute," Zaku said quietly. "She used to dress up before she went out, and came back with bruises and messy hair. I never thought anything of it but… my neighbour told me what she was when I was a kid. I always thought she was a waitress."

Kin and Dosu were silent. What could they say after a confession like that? After everything Zaku thought about his hahaoya was stained? Still, now he knew how she could afford to send him to ANBU.

And she'd never realised the lengths he went to for her comfort. He would have her tea ready in the morning. He would do all the shopping and cleaning and wash her clothes and cook her food. All of this he'd done since he was six-years-old. And she never acknowledged it or said thank you. She just went out and sold herself without a second thought to the son that needed her. It was good that she'd left. He thought back to the note she'd stuck to the fridge.

She said she hadn't wanted to expose him to the life she led and now he knew why. And Utako… Utako was probably the result of one of her clients. Maybe he was too. He didn't want to think about it.

The bell blared and saved them. They stood and moved silently to their lockers outside the Literacy room. They had Literacy and then Zaku had study after that, then it was home time. Yay.

He sat in his usual seat and yawned, switching his thoughts back to lettuce, chicken and avocado sandwiches. He purposely kept his thoughts there until Kakashi entered the room and called for their attention.

"Today we'll be continuing our study of poetry," he said. "Take out the booklets we've been studying and turn to page ten-"

 ** _"_** ** _Warning, Kohona High School is now under lockdown. This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill. All students are to follow lockdown procedure given by your teacher."_**

The phone rang and Kakashi dived to answer it. "Kids, get under your desks." They scurried to do as they were told and he brought the phone to his ear. "Hai. I understand." He hung up and got onto his hands and knees, crawling under his own desk. "A man with a gun is loose on the school. The authorities have been notified. Stay quiet and under your desks."

Zaku crouched under the flimsy piece of wood, squished between Kin and the side. He fought to keep his breathing under control. The man with the gun wouldn't come here, would he?

"Shouldn't we lock the door?" Neji whispered.

Kakashi swore and left the safety of his desk for the door. The door had a metal panel on the bottom half, but the top half was glass. He crouched behind the metal part and raised his hand to flick the lock.

A hand smashed through the glass and grasped Kakashi's shirt. The teacher disappeared through the glass and a girl screamed.

Everything fell silent for a long moment. All eyes were on the door. Zaku jumped as Kin grabbed his hand and he squeezed it tight.

The doorknob turned.

And it wasn't Kakashi that entered.

A huge man shut the door behind him and surveyed the classroom. He wore black jeans and a black button-up shirt and shocking red hair poked out from under a red beanie. He twirled a pistol in one hand and the other rested in his pocket. Zaku guessed his age at around late-twenties.

"Hello children," he said, smiling. "My name is Kyuubi. I'm a convicted serial killer and was put in jail ten years ago. But I got out because I have an unfinished job. You see, the people I killed were couples who had everything. The husband and wife who were happy. I killed one such couple, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, because they were happy. Unfortunately I wasn't aware that they had a son in the next room. I was put in jail before I could learn the truth. But I know now that their son is in this very room. Naruto Uzumaki." Kyuubi tilted his head and smiled creepily. "Turn him over, and the rest of you will live. Hide him from me and I won't hesitate to kill all of you."

Zaku eyed the pistol warily. Lockdowns were so sudden and unexpected, but not for Kyuubi. He'd probably been planning this for years without anyone else knowing. The mind of a serial killer was a strange one.

Someone moved and everyone looked over as Sasuke stood from under his desk. "You can't have Naruto," the Uchiha growled. He must be either very brave, or very stupid to stand in front of the gun like that.

From the desk behind him, Gaara stood and moved forward to join Sasuke. "No, you can't," the redhead said.

Kiba stood on Gaara's other side. "No way in hell are you killing my friend."

Kyuubi laughed. "Oh, how noble! I'm guessing all of you want to die first then? Am I right?"

Zaku looked past all the desks to where Naruto was curled in a ball, his face white and hands trembling. That boy had shown him nothing but kindness. Now he was faced with his parents' killer who wanted to kill him too just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Naruto's life was worth ten of everyone in this room. He was so beautiful and kind. Zaku snapped his eyes to the redheaded psychopath and the three boys standing in front of him. He released Kin's hand and crawled out from under th desk..

"Zaku!" Kin hissed. He ignored her and moved through the desks to stand on Sasuke's other side.

"He's ten times the man you'll ever be," Zaku said to Kyuubi. He locked gazes with the killer and saw a total lack of empathy, just a burning desire to kill.

Kyuubi looked at the four of them in turn. "Now which one will I kill first? Tattoo boy? Pretty boy? Scruffy boy? Or camo boy?"

His heart hammered all through his body. Blood rushed to his ears as the gunpoint hovered closer. Sweat broke out across his forehead. If he died, who would take care of Utako? _Died_. He could die today. And the thought terrified him. If he tried to speak now, it would come out as a squeak. Unconsciously, he grabbed Sasuke's hand. He didn't see Sasuke grab Gaara's hand, nor Gaara grab Kiba's. There was nothing shameful in seeking comfort before death.

Kyuubi rested the gunpoint on Gaara. "Tattoo boy it is."

A red dot appeared on the side of Kyuubi's head. He seemed to sense the dot and froze with his finger on the trigger.

"Kyuubi! Lower the weapon!" The door swung open and two police officers burst inside with their weapons trained on the killer.

He smiled. "Looks like I won't be fulfilling my mission. But there's always later. And I can always escape again." He lowered the gun and one of the officers took it from him. The officer bound Kyuubi and dragged him from the room while the other one approached the teenagers.

"You four are either brave or stupid," he commented.

"He was after me." Naruto crawled out from under his desk and kept his head bowed. "They protected me."

"Stupid it is." He cast his eyes over the rest of the class hidden under their desks. "Call your parents and go home. Class is finished for the day." He looked back at the five boys. "I need all five of you to come and answer some questions, then you can go."

A gunshot sounded and the officer froze. He left without a word.

Zaku's hand felt glued to Sasuke's. He used his other hand to prise the stiff fingers off while Kiba and Gaara worked to unlock their own hands. He got his hand free and wiped it against his jeans.

"Hey, Zaku…"

"Hai?" He looked over at Sasuke. The proud Uchiha stuck out his hand.

"I'm sorry."

Zaku shook it. "Me too."

Naruto tackled Sasuke in a hug and wrenched him away. "I thought you were going to die!" the blonde gasped.

"Nar-u…to! Can't breathe!"

Naruto pulled back and gave Sasuke one second to suck in a breath before kissing him. In front of everyone.

"It's about time," Shikamaru said loudly.

o.O.o

Kyuubi had knocked Kakashi out with the butt of his pistol before entering the classroom. Kakashi was unhurt except for a massive headache and was sent to the hospital overnight just to be sure.

The random gunshot was the first officer shooting Kyuubi when the killer made a run for it. Kyuubi made it three steps before the bullet ripped through his head. The officers wrapped up the body and sent it to the coroner's office before helping empty the school. They brought Naruto, Sasuke, Zaku, Gaara and Kiba to Tsunade's office for questioning about what happened to use as testimony for the case.

"A lockdown order came over the intercom," Zaku said. "We went under our desks, Kakashi got a phone call. He went under his desk and remembered to lock the door. He went to lock the door and Kyuubi pulled him through the glass and knocked him out. He came inside and introduced himself and told us why he was here. Sasuke stood up first, then Gaara, then Kiba and then me. We said we wouldn't let Kyuubi get Naruto and he was going to shoot Gaara. Then you came in and he lowered the gun."

The officer nodded and turned off the tape recorder. "Thank you Zaku. You may go."

Zaku left Tsunade's office and re-joined the other four in the waiting room outside. Gaara went in next and Tsunade sat beside Zaku. She handed him a slip of paper.

"Here, it's for the guidance counsellor, Rin Nohara. All five of you will be seeing her tomorrow during fifth period."

Zaku held the paper numbly. The shock and adrenaline still coursed through his body and he couldn't quite process what had just happened. He looked over at the other three boys. Naruto and Sasuke held hands and Kiba rocked back and forth in his seat with his lip between his teeth.

It was two-thirty. Zaku had to pick Utako up and get to work.

"I have to go," he whispered. Tsunade rested her hand on his and squeezed.

"Hai. Relax tonight, okay?"

"I will." He tucked the paper in his pocket and stood.

Naruto was in front of him immediately. "Thank you for standing up for me," the blonde said. He threw his arms around Zaku and Zaku returned the hug hesitantly.

"Thank you for being kind," he replied. He pushed Naruto back and smiled.

"Say hi to Utako for me."

"Will do."

Naruto returned to his seat and Zaku left the office building. He grabbed his skateboard and bag from his locker and started his usual afternoon routine of picking up his sister and going to work.

When he got to _Oto Music_ , he was surprised to see Dosu and Kin waiting for him there. Sai was in the middle of serving a customer and there was another customer waiting for service at the front counter. Zaku put Utako in the backroom and moved to serve the customer.

"I'm looking for a left-handed electric guitar for my son," the customer said.

"We have plenty of left-handed stock," Zaku told him smoothly. "If you'll follow me…"

After the customer left, Zaku joined his friends. They loitered in the guitar section, talking quietly, but stopped when Zaku approached.

"Are you okay?" Kin asked. "I mean, what happened today was horrifying."

"I'm fine. What about you?"

"We're both okay. We didn't stand in front of a crazy guy with a gun." Dosu shook his head. "Why did you do it?"

Zaku shrugged. "Naruto's my friend and I won't let people threaten my friends. I'd do the same with you and Kin."

The confession made his chest burst with warmth. Knowing that he'd put his life on the line for someone he cared about was liberating. Now that he'd done it once he knew he could do it again.

Kin grinned. "That's good to know. I don't know about you, but that kiss was the strangest part about the whole thing."

"It was pretty strange, huh?" Zaku agreed.

Dosu nodded. "I need to get going and walk Eko. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hai."

"Bye Zaku." Kin waved. He waved back. They left the shop.

Sai sidled up. "What happened?"

"I held your cousins hand."

"Uh…"

"Let me tell you the whole story…"


	15. Chapter 14

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 14**

He'd never been on a train before. And he'd only been in a car once. So standing with twenty other Genin and a number of Chuunin, Jounin and Kage's at a train station was a unique experience.

"These things are safe, right?" he asked Dosu.

"Hai. I've been on plenty of trains before and they rarely crash."

He glared. "Good to know."

"Hey, the odds are highly against it. It's like, one in every thousand train trips has something happen so I don't think we'll be at risk. Just don't stress. The conductors know what they're doing."

"I thought conductors were the people who took your tickets."

"Oh. The drivers then."

"You're doing wonders for my confidence."

"Thank you."

"Sarcasm."

"I know."

It had been five days since the Kyuubi incident. Since then, Zaku had visited the councillor's office twice. Rin Nohara was a calm woman, and the second the five boys walked into her office Sasuke said, "It's good to see you, Aunt." He proceeded to tell them that Rin had been his Uncle Obito's girlfriend since the death of his wife (Sai's hahaoya) seven years ago. The group system began the year that Rin entered Genin year and she'd been in a group with Obito and Kakashi. Those were just fun facts. Zaku didn't really care, but it was still interesting to know how people's lives intertwined.

The meeting went well. Rin asked the boys questions about how they were feeling and they replied accordingly. Naruto was quieter than usual but still managed a smile, even if it didn't quite meet his eyes. It would take him some time to recover from what had happened, a lot more time than it would take Zaku. Rin asked why they stood in front of the gun and they all answered the same: Naruto had so much goodness and they wouldn't let anyone hurt him.

She registered one more group meeting for the following Tuesday, which was tomorrow, and Zaku wasn't looking forward to it. His feelings were something he hated discussing with his friends, let alone a group of people he barely spoke to.

This Monday provided a respite from all the drama. All Art and Music students were catching a train to Kohona's Museum and Art Gallery for a special exhibition. The exhibit was about blending physical art like paintings and sculptures with music to see how the auditory and visual worlds could meet. As Zaku and Dosu did just Music, and Kin did both Music and Art, they were going to attend.

The train whistled as it approached the station. Zaku and Dosu moved away from the line and looked around for Kin. They spotted her talking to a girl in her Art class, Tenten her name was. She and Tenten had walked to the station together with a member from the brunette's group, Neji. Neji was in their Music class and a prodigy with the flute and violin. His cousin Hinata was fantastic on the piano but lacked the confidence to play more complicated sequences in front of an audience.

Asuma moved in front of the wave of students as the train squealed into the station. Zaku eyed the carriages with distrust.

"Okay kids," Asuma said. "Kage's on first, then Jounin, Chuunin and Genin."

The Art teacher, Kurenai Yuhi, joined him and together they shepherded the hundred odd students onto the train. Zaku and Dosu were among the last to get on and found free seats at the very last carriage. All the seats were grouped in four, with a seat for two facing another seat for two allowing for group conversation. Zaku and Dosu sat across from each other and looked around at the other passengers. Kin, Tenten, Neji and Hinata were at the other end of the carriage talking animatedly and Kin seemed to be enjoying herself. Was that jealousy bubbling in Zaku's stomach? Kin was allowed to have friends other than him and Dosu, sure, but he couldn't help but feel jealous that she was sitting with someone other than them.

The last stragglers were getting on the train and as soon as the platform was empty, the doors closed and the wheels started turning. Zaku grabbed the edge of his seat as the train picked up speed and the platform disappeared. Trains in Japan ran at around 220 kilometres and that speed was enough to scare him, especially considering he'd never been on one. Dosu seemed fully at ease with the speed.

"You looking forward to the exhibition?" Conversation would take his mind off imminent doom. Exaggerating? Probably.

Dosu leant forward in his seat, swaying slightly with the movement of the train. "Normally it's just your usual art exhibition. This year they're trying something way different and I reckon it'll be awesome."

They looked up as Kin sat beside Dosu. "Hey boys," she greeted, "how's it going?"

Zaku's jealousy flared. "What, you were able to tear yourself away from your _new_ friends for a second to say hi?"

She stared open-mouthed. "What…" She closed her mouth and narrowed her eyes. "You're a dick."

With that, Kin went back over to Tenten, Neji and Hinata.

"That was uncalled for," Dosu murmured.

"I didn't mean it! It just… slipped out." Distress filled his head and Zaku wanted nothing more than to apologise and have Kin forgive him, but what if she wouldn't? What if he'd just ruined their friendship with petty jealousy?

Thankfully his inner turmoil cancelled out any fear he had for the rest of the train ride.

o.O.o

A live band played at one end of the gallery. Each artwork had headphones attached so all the music didn't overlap and deafen everyone. Now that he was here, Zaku didn't want to be here. He'd prefer Music class to this.

It was loud, crowded, and hot. Schools from all over Kohona and the surrounding areas had come to see (and hear) this. As a result, hundreds of schoolkids were there along with Kohona High.

Zaku and Dosu found a less-crowded room that had classical music and black-and-white artwork. He saw a familiar head of black hair and looked away quickly, but Sai had already seen him. Great. That meant ANBU High was at the exhibit too, and he remembered five kids who excelled at Music at ANBU.

Sai joined them in front of a particularly sombre painting. "I didn't expect to see you here, Zaku," he said.

"Well it's a joint Art and Music excursion so…"

"Here we are," Dosu finished.

Sai recognised the bandages. "Oh, you're the one with the dog. How is he, by the way?"

Dosu stiffened. "He's doing better since I took him to the vet."

The Uchiha nodded and looked at the painting. "What do you see when you look at this? How does it make you feel?"

Zaku properly looked at it. A girl with long dark hair and a white dress stood alone in the middle of an empty street. Her eyes were closed and a few strands of hair blew across her face. Bits of rubbish danced through the street behind her and it looked like a really dodgy part of town. Zaku slipped on the headphones and blinked at the gentle piano mixed with rainfall. Thunder cracked in the background and he considered how both sound and sight worked together.

He passed the headphones to Dosu. "It's mournful, like you're a defenceless child in the middle of a big unforgiving city where no one cares for no one and you feel so hopeless and desolate."

"Hai, I agree with that." Dosu put the headphones back.

"I was looking at this one earlier," Sai said softly, "and it's so sad. She's been broken and beat down but she won't let it get to her. Do you feel it? The hope underlying the piano notes? She wants to start anew, to make a better world around her."

The pair stared at him. "I have no idea how you got all that," Zaku said. "Interpreting art isn't a strong point for me."

"It is for me."

"Hey! Zaku! It's _so_ great to see you again!" Not _that_ voice…

He and Sai cursed in unison and turned, leaving Dosu quite confused.

Tayuya smirked. "Are you Sai's new boyfriend or something? You seem to hang out quite a bit and it's… suspicious."

Dosu shoved past Zaku and faced the redhead. "I see you hang out with four guys. Do they only put up with you because you put out for them?"

Wrong move. Jirobo stepped forward and cracked his knuckles. "I think I need to teach this punk a lesson in manners."

"I think _you_ need a lesson in manners," Dosu growled defiantly, folding his arms. "This is a public place and I'm sure you'd get a lot of complaints for starting a fight."

The twins spoke up. "Those bandages are very unique."

"I'm sure we'd know you on the street."

"So unless you want a beating back at Kohona…"

"Shut your mouth."

Emboldened by his friend's bravery, Zaku stepped forward. "Oh, you're all high and mighty until someone gives you a taste of your own medicine? It's not pleasant, is it?"

Jirobo growled. "Screw complaints, I'm kicking your butts right here." He grabbed the fronts of their jackets and yanked them off their feet.

"Jirobo, stop!" Sai shouted. "Just leave them alone."

"Aw, gay boy wants to save his lovers," Kidomaru taunted. "Jirobo, I don't think you should stop."

Zaku grabbed the big boy's wrist and twisted his hands in opposite directions. Jirobo yelped and dropped him. He swung a backhand at Zaku's head, which the smaller teen blocked with ease.

There was a tense pause. Dosu attempted to pry Jirobo's fingers off his jacket but to no avail. Zaku stood ready and Sakon, Ukon and Kidomaru looked ready to kill.

A new voice entered the mix. "They picked on you guys too, huh?"

Everyone jumped and turned to Gaara. He and Kankuro leant against the wall nonchalantly, eyeing the scene with distaste. Zaku had never been happier to see the brothers, especially Kankuro with his intimidating glare and fleshy.

"Back off fatso," Kankuro said.

Jirobo released Dosu and fell back to safety with numbers. It didn't mean much, since now they were evenly matched. Kankuro looked big enough to take Jirobo down, Gaara had had the guts to face down a serial killer, Zaku did chito-ryu, Sai did jujitsu and Dosu could take a hit. As for the bullies? They relied on their ability to cow a victim and they had no backbone when someone threatened to give them the same treatment.

The five bullies made Zaku's primary school years hell. He didn't like thinking about how badly they'd treated a lot of the other students just because they could. By their standards, he'd gotten it light. Some kids got their heads stuffed in toilets every day.

Kidomaru's eyes darted between the five. He was the smartest of the bullies and knew when a tactical retreat was required. "Guys, we should go."

Sakon and Ukon pouted. "Aw, but we were having-"

"So much fun!"

Tayuya sneered quite unattractively (Zaku had no idea why the boys at ANBU seemed to like her). "We know when we're not wanted. Don't worry Sai, we'll save you a seat on the bus." The sneer morphed into a smirk and she led the four boys away.

Once they were gone from the room, Kankuro whistled. "Wow, nice to see someone else at Kohona on their bad side."

" _Everyone's_ on their bad side," Sai grumbled.

Kankuro grinned easily and clapped Zaku's shoulder. "We went to ANBU for a few weeks before coming to Kohona. Gaara and I got in loads of trouble for fighting with those guys."

"They almost expelled us." Gaara almost _smiled_ at the fond memory. It was weird seeing the redhead look almost happy.

"Hai, we transferred before they could expel us." Kankuro nodded at Zaku and Dosu. "They shouldn't bother you anymore. They're scared of us."

"It's hard to imagine them scared of anyone," Zaku said.

"Well you don't have to imagine it." Kankuro nodded and turned away. "See you back at school." He left the classical room and Sai rubbed his face.

"They're going to kill me when we get back to school," the Uchiha groaned.

"Don't let it get you down." Dosu shrugged. "With any luck you'll graduate and go to different Universities."

"Still, it's over three years away."

"Three years go pretty quick." Had it really been over three years since Zaku's hahaoya had left him?

Sai managed a small smile. "Maybe. I'll see you around." He went to a different area of the classical room and put on a set of headphones.

Zaku, Dosu and Gaara exchanged a glance. "Well," the bandaged boy said, "maybe we should get around to actually enjoying our excursion."

"Hai, sounds good." Zaku looked at the redhead awkwardly. "Do you…?"

"Oh, no, I'm gonna go find Sasuke and Naruto." Gaara shrugged and left them to their own devices.

"Well…" Dosu whistled lowly. "Let's go see what else is at this exhibit."

They only saw the five ANBU bullies once more in the main hall of the gallery. Zaku and Dosu made sure to stay on the opposite side. Most of the schools were gathering for the main musical performance in the gallery and the pair were pushed so far away from the stage that they couldn't see the bands performing.

Zaku saw Kin standing nearby with Tenten. Both girls were determinedly looking away from him and he pushed down the sick feeling in his belly. If he wanted her to forgive him he would have to go up and apologise, and apologising wasn't something he was used to. He's spent so long hating people that being close enough to someone to have to say sorry was a new phenomenon. One that Kin wouldn't understand.

Still, he'd hurt her. Girls had a weird way of taking things so he really couldn't understand just how much his words had affected her. What was going through her head right now? Would she even accept an apology or would she dismiss it?

The first band started playing a guitar-themes instrumental and Zaku pushed aside all his thoughts and focused on the music. He closed his eyes and allowed the strings to vibrate through every fibre of his body.

This was pure music. This was what it was to lose himself in the sound.

He let go of his thoughts. He forgot about Dosu, about Kin and the hundreds of schoolkids around them. He forgot about his hahaoya and Utako. He forgot about the bullies, about everything he'd been through.

In that moment, he was happy.

o.O.o

"Is this seat taken?"

Zaku jumped. Gaara looked between him and Dosu for confirmation.

"No, feel free to sit," Dosu said. Gaara nodded his thanks to the bandaged boy and sat beside him. Dosu shifted at the redhead's unexpected presence but the bandages masked his true expression, as always. Zaku met Gaara's gaze and opted to awkwardly look out the window. The last stragglers were getting on the train and as soon as the platform was empty, the doors closed and the wheels started turning.

Zaku grabbed the edge of his seat as the platform disappeared and the train picked up speed. He became aware of Gaara's scrutiny and glanced at the redhead. "You okay?" It was the only thing he could think of that didn't come across as offensive.

Gaara nodded. "Are you scared of trains?"

"Well… I've never been on one before."

"I used to catch a train to and from ANBU every day. You'll be fine."

Zaku recalled something Gaara had said earlier, that he'd gone to ANBU for a few weeks. "You said you went to ANBU. College or Primary?"

"Just the College. Chichi sent me and my siblings to a private boarding school in Tokyo for Primary."

"And then you went to ANBU?" Dosu asked.

"For a few weeks, hai, but then Kankuro and I got in trouble for fighting with those guys and he didn't want to deal with it so he made us come to Kohona." Gaara fidgeted. "I'm glad we came to Kohona. Kankuro and Temari won't admit it, but we all like it here."

"I guess some people were more welcoming than others?" It was a question, but Zaku phrased it more like a statement.

"Hai, definitely. The way we carry ourselves is kinda intimidating. It's because it was just me, Kankuro and Temari for as long as I can remember. We don't mix well with others."

"You'll find that Kohona does that to you." Zaku smiled. "I went to ANBU Primary and hated it, so I came to Kohona High on a scholarship and I've actually made friends. It's the ingenious group system I tell you. It forces you to hang out with people and otherwise I wouldn't be friends with Dosu and Kin."

"You do seem like the loner type," Gaara agreed.

"Everyone's a bit of a loner." Two sets of eyes turned to Dosu.

"No need to get all philosophical," Zaku said.

They were silent for a moment.

"This got depressing," Gaara said.

"Hai…"

They were silent for the rest of the train trip.


	16. Chapter 15

This is a time for celebrating, this is the last week of the Uni semester! After that it's only... two and a half more years until I finish my Masters in writing. I've been writing this as my degree develops and I've done a few experiments with this story. FanFiction is fantastic for finding your writing style and practicing.

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 15**

Utako's breathing had become heavy over the last few days. On Thursday night she felt hotter than usual. Friday morning, her coughing woke Zaku before the sun rose.

He rolled out of bed and pressed a hand to her forehead. Too warm to be healthy. Panic seeped through his muddled brain; something was wrong. The sleep around her eyes was gluggier than usual and snot clustered around her nostrils.

Zaku warmed a pot of water over the stove and poured it into the plugged bathroom sink. He bathed her, thinking she might just be overheating but if that was true, she'd develop baby rash and not whatever this was.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" he murmured. She gurgled and sucked in a raspy breath. "We're going to the doctors."

He dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, brushed his teeth, packed his schoolbag and took a few thousand yen from his rent money (just in case). He dressed Utako and wrapped her in a blanket and locked his apartment door behind him.

The sun peeked over buildings as he rode his skateboard to the nearest doctors. It took twenty minutes to get there and one look at the front door told him that they didn't open for another two hours. The doctors building was huge, white and modern and its car-park was empty.

Over the next two hours he attempted to coax some blended vegetables into her but she refused to eat. She didn't want to play either and just went limp in his arms. The panic rose further in his chest and he almost felt sick. No to mention his stomach screamed for food and his head screamed for sleep.

A car pulled into the car-park just before eight. A man in a suit exited the vehicle and waltzed right into the building without glancing at Zaku. Several people trickled into position in front of the doctors building, obviously customers, and a few doctors entered.

Then the 'Closed' sign changed to 'Open'.

People flooded into the pristine white waiting room, reminiscent of the hospital, and formed a line. Zaku managed fifth from the front and kept Utako away from everyone. Anyone here could have a contagious disease that could seriously hurt her.

A receptionist smiled and waved him over. "Good morning. What seems to be the issue?"

"It's my sister," Zaku said. "She's been breathing funny and coughing and she has a fever and won't eat."

The man typed on his computer. "Your name and your sisters name?"

"Zaku and Utako Abumi."

He gestured to the right. "Doctor Kimimaro will see you shortly."

Zaku moved to the right, where there were several doors lined along a corridor and waiting chairs along one side. He found the door labelled 'Doctor Kimimaro' and sat down to wait.

Thirty minutes. That's how long he sat there. It's like they didn't care that he had to go to school today. Oh well, he was late already. Doctor Kimimaro finally opened the door with a clipboard in hand.

"Utako Abumi?" The doctor was strange-looking with pale skin, bright green eyes and loose white hair.

Zaku stood and moved towards the door. Doctor Kimimaro moved aside and allowed the teenager to enter.

"I trust you weren't waiting long," Doctor Kimimaro said.

"No." The office had a desk with a computer, a bed and two chairs. It was basic, but it was for a doctor not an office grunt.

"So," the doctor began, turning to his computer, "I understand the baby has developed a breathing problem?"

"Hai, and she was coughing this morning. She can't stay awake either."

Doctor Kimimaro type on his computer. "Go on."

"She's been a bit warm and she refused to eat this morning." He was tired. He just wanted Utako to be okay and to curl up in a ball and never wake up.

"It's a textbook case," Doctor Kimimaro said gently. "Pertussis, or whooping cough as many people know it. If allowed to advance further, your sister could die. How old is she?"

"Nearly eight months."

"And from the symptoms you're describing, it appears she's in the early stages. If you vaccinate her now she should be fine in under two weeks."

"So she'll get better?"

"Hai. I will need to give her a needle of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine. Babies should be given five of these shots, one when they are two months, four months, and six months, between fifteen and eighteen months and between four and six years. If Utako hasn't received her first three shots then it was almost certain she would develop this."

"What if she just gets three?"

"That should be fine. You brought her in here before the case could advance further. I commend you for that."

The doctor's words did little to belay Zaku's concern. "Can I get her the vaccination now?"

"Certainly. It will add an extra cost to your initial fee, but if you don't then you risk her life."

He looked down at his sleeping sister and his heart squeezed. "I don't care. I just need her to get better."

"Come right this way." Doctor Kimimaro led the pair to the surgical wards behind all the offices, to the beds with green blankets and curtained-off areas. A man lay stomach-down on one of the beds and a masked doctor burned a hole in his foot, where Zaku assumed a wart to be.

The doctor left them at one of the beds and Zaku sat, feeling slightly on edge. He didn't like the smell of surgical wards. Too _clean_ and sterilised. Had someone died on this bed? Would Utako…?

No. The vaccine would work and she would get better. He wouldn't lose her. He wouldn't lose his whole world.

"Baba…" she whispered. She rolled in his arms and he stroked her face lovingly.

"Don't worry sweetie, you'll get better. I promise."

The doctor re-joined them with a syringe, a bottle of disinfectant, two cotton balls and a circular Band-Aid. "Could you please expose either shoulder?" Zaku pulled her shirt down over her left shoulder and aimed it towards the doctor. Utako was fast asleep and didn't even register Doctor Kimimaro wiping her shoulder with the disinfectant. Zaku looked away as he pressed the needle into her skin and injected the vaccine.

Utako wailed at the pain and Zaku grabbed her arm before she could struggle. Doctor Kimimaro pulled the syringe out and pressed the cotton balls to the entry point to catch the few drops of blood. Zaku shut his ears to Utako's cries and Doctor Kimimaro replaced the ball with the Band-Aid.

"Thank you," the teenager murmured.

"Your sister is very brave."

They returned to the doctor's office and Doctor Kimimaro wrote up a record of the meeting as well as a payment slip for the reception desk.

"I hope Utako is feeling better soon. If she doesn't improve in a week, take her to the hospital."

"Thank you doctor."

Zaku left the office and went to the reception desk. The man who'd received him earlier took the payment slip and five-thousand yen and thanked him for coming in today. Zaku tightened his grip on Utako and stepped outside only to learn it was raining. Suddenly he regretted his choice to leave his hoodie at home. He dropped his skateboard and zoomed along the paths, the rain soaking into his hair and shirt and running down the back of his neck. Was Utako getting wet? He glanced down. No, she was fine.

He moved as quick as was safe for the Day-care and school. He was an hour late already.

o.O.o

He rushed into his Literacy class completely soaked. All eyes were on him and he ducked his head and slipped into his seat without a word. Kakashi didn't even blink.

At least Shizune hadn't said anything when he'd burst into the office, dripping water everywhere, and signed in under the pretence of having a family commitment that morning. She let him type his student number into the computer and go to class.

It seemed that the class was doing silent study. Since their argument on Monday, Kin started sitting on the left side of the desk and Zaku sat on the right side, with Dosu between them. She'd also started eating with Tenten and Neji, leaving Dosu and Zaku alone under the Music room. Her coldness made Zaku think that maybe she didn't want him to apologise.

Zaku opened his notebook and pulled out a booklet on grammatical devices. Dosu leant over. "You okay?"

Was he okay? Utako had whooping cough and if the vaccine didn't work she could die. "No."

He wasn't dry when class finished and his chair sat in a puddle. The bell rang and he was the first one out the door. Dammit he should be with Utako right now! Not here! Her life was in Haku's hands and although Haku was a nice enough man, Zaku had little reason to entrust his sick baby sister to him.

In his haste that morning he'd forgotten to pack food for himself. There was a container of food for Utako but nothing for him, and his stomach was screaming. He sat under the Music room, drew his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

Then he realised. The money he'd used to pay for the vaccination… it was his rent money. He had no money saved up (having spent it on getting new strings for his guitar, extra vegetables for Utako and bigger clothes for her fast-growing body, and the karate grading) and was now five-thousand yen under. If he was one day late on paying his rent, the building's policy was to stamp an eviction notice to his door unless he paid the money the very next day. Where would he get five-thousand yen? Even if he skipped karate, sold his couch and guitar and everything he owned, it wouldn't be enough to keep his apartment.

He swore. Vehemently.

To his surprise, Dosu _and_ Kin sat beside him and stared expectantly.

"What's the problem?" Dosu asked.

"Nothing."

"Seriously? Now you're going to shut us out?" Kin cried. "Just tell us the goddamn problem and we can help you!"

"Stop, please…"

"No Zaku. We're you're friends." Dosu was so calm it was scary.

"Hai, and I know I haven't been acting like one but I still care about you," Kin said. "So tell us, why did you come to school late, drenched, and miserable?"

"I'm sorry for being a jerk on Monday, okay? But please, I really don't want to talk about it."

Dosu clicked his tongue. "Stop lying."

"I'm not lying. Do you think I want to tell you guys how Utako nearly died? Or how I'm going to get kicked out of my apartment tomorrow?"

"Utako nearly died?" Kin gasped.

"You're getting kicked out?" Dosu gaped.

"See? You can't help!" he shouted. He buried his face in his arms and squeezed his eyes shut. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't going to cry. Too late.

Kin's arm slipped around his shoulder and he instinctively leant into her. She was so warm and smelt so nice… He could stay here forever. "Zaku, the key word you used was 'nearly'," she murmured. "She didn't die. She won't die."

"What was it?" Dosu asked.

"Whooping cough," Zaku explained quietly, eyes closed. "She hadn't been vaccinated against it so I took her to the doctors' this morning and got her a shot."

"And why are you getting kicked out?" Kin asked.

"The shot cost five-thousand yen out of my rent money. If I'm late on my rent I get evicted and I have no money saved up and no way to get five-thousand yen before this afternoon." As his eyes were closed, he missed the glance Dosu and Kin shared.

"Maybe we can help," Kin suggested.

Zaku jerked away and immediately missed her warmth. "No. No way. I can handle this on my own. Please… can we just… talk about something else?"

They were quiet for a moment and then Dosu spoke up. "I got a job."

"Really?" Kin asked. "Where?"

"At the newspaper factory. I fold newspapers and put them into plastic bags. Yesterday was my first day."

"At least it's a job where you don't have to talk to people," Zaku sighed. He just had to push all the fear from his head for a little while. He needed to calm himself. "How's the nanny thing going?"

"It's going really well! I have four regular clients now and I'm out every afternoon. Hahaoya's really impressed with how I'm doing, but chichi still wants me to intern. What about _Oto Music_?"

"Same old same old. Business is a little better and Suigetsu hasn't found out about Utako so I can't complain."

There was that feeling again. The feeling of contentment because he'd found two people in this world that he could call friends.

o.O.o

Zabuza had given his Humanities class a ton of homework, all of which needed internet. As a result, Zaku spent his entire forty-five minutes of study powering through the questions and successfully distracting himself from all of his bad thoughts. His eyes were glued to the computer screen and his notebook. He needed to get this done before he went home otherwise he'd never get it done and Zabuza was the kind of teacher that gave students detention for not completing their homework.

The bell rang just as he went to switch off the computer. He waited a moment for it to properly shut down and then grabbed his completed work and ran to his locker. Only Hinata was already at a locker and he ignored her and went to his own, where he shoved his books in his bag, shouldered it and took his skateboard. Once he reached the school entrance he dropped his skateboard and leapt onto the top, using his momentum to push himself forward.

When he came upon roads he didn't bother to check that there were cars coming. He just ignored the world around him and allowed the bubble of fear in his belly to rise. If Utako didn't get better she could die and no matter what they were going to be forced onto the streets. He'd never known what it was to be homeless and he never thought he would. He had a job. He had money. As terrible a hahaoya she was, she still made sure he could provide for himself. Now he couldn't. All her so-called training was useless now. It was her fault too. She was the one who'd dumped a baby on her _fourteen-year-old_ son and expected him to care for her. He could barely take care of himself. This situation was proof that he was unequipped to take care of a child.

Hahaoya should have known that. This situation was also proof that she was unequipped to deal with her children. She'd tried, sure, but she'd given up. She'd rejected her children for a life of prostitution when she could easily get another job. She could've worked at _Oto Music_ and made money that way, yet she chose to continue. Maybe she felt young when she sold herself, maybe it made her feel worth something, and having children made her feel like a failure because she didn't want them to affect her lifestyle.

Maybe she was happy without them.

A car horn burst into Zaku's mind and he propelled himself forward, just out of range of the car that hadn't slowed down for him. He fought the fear that churned in his stomach and continued on his way. The Day-care was one block away…

He jumped off his skateboard just before he hit the door and ran inside without picking it up. Two young hahaoyas jumped as he barrelled past into the nursery. He forced himself to pause and breathe before venturing into the room filled with babies. One started crying when he moved past but he ignored it.

He reached the crib he'd left her in and ice moved through his veins. She wasn't there.

Zaku rushed from the nursery and glanced around the toddler play room in panic. "Utako!" he called. Bile rose in his throat and he covered his mouth hurriedly.

"She's fine."

He spun and cried in relief that it was just Haku. The long-haired nanny crossed the play room with a sleeping infant in his arms.

Utako.

"I know the symptoms of whooping cough, Zaku," the nanny told him. "If I'd left your sister in the nursery she could've made many of the other babies sick so I had to keep her separate for the day."

All sense abandoned Zaku's mind and he lunged forward and grabbed his sister from Haku's arms. He couldn't help it – she was his sister and he had to hold her. He buried his face into her little body to hide the tears that formed in his eyes.

This was stupid. She was fine. Why was he crying?

"Zaku, sit. I need to talk to you."

Haku led the teenager to his office and shut the door behind them. Zaku stared around at the walls covered in messily-drawn crayon drawings. He sat on a colourful beanbag and Haku sat on a red plastic chair right beside him.

"Hai?" Zaku asked. He held Utako against his chest protectively. Haku wouldn't take her away, would he?

"I've seen many sick babies in my day," Haku said softly, "and I examined Utako myself. She was in the early stages of whooping cough. Another day untreated and she would've died."

"She…"

"But she didn't. You saw the signs in time and got treatment. She's alive because of you."

"Are you going to take her away?" The question came emotionlessly, his eyes downcast.

"Why would I do that?"

"I live alone. There's no hahaoya or chichi. I'm raising my sister as my own and I'm only fourteen and I do school and work. I can't possibly be a good guardian for a baby."

"But you are. You've proven yourself."

Zaku stared. "Huh?"

"I knew you lied about your hahaoya and I was prepared to call the authorities at the first sign of malnourishment or neglect, but Utako never had those things. She was so happy with you, she ate well and she developed properly under your care. I saw the way you look at her and I couldn't bring myself to take her away from you." Haku lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'll be honest, this Day-care is government-funded but we still require payment for our services. I opted to care for your sister for free because I could tell you needed it. You needed to know that she was being cared for without all the monetary baggage."

"I… thank you."

"When I saw Utako had whooping cough I was going to call the police, but then I saw the Band-Aid from the injection. That's when I decided you are a fit guardian for her and I offer you this: I close the Day-care at six o'clock. I'm here every day but Sunday. I will take your sister into my care in the afternoons until six o'clock."

"I finish work at seven most nights."

"Then after closing I will bring her to your work."

"But… isn't that inconvenient for you?"

"No, I've done it many times before. Where do you work?"

"Uh, _Oto Music_."

"How lucky, it's on my way home."

Zaku opened and closed his mouth a couple times as if he were a fish. He barely knew anything about this man (except that he was dating Zabuza) and yet he was offering to make Zaku's life easier for nothing in return. It was either some genius plan or Haku genuinely cared.

Utako stirred in his arms and sniffled. He looked down and wiped the drool around her mouth with his jacket sleeve. She half-opened one eye and a slight smile formed on her beautifully innocent face.

It was safer if she stayed at the Day-care, then Suigetsu wouldn't find out. It would make everything easier, no denying that. And Utako would be properly cared for.

"I think… it'd be best for her if she stayed here longer in the afternoons." He looked away awkwardly. Accepting help wasn't something he was used to.

"Do you need her here today?"

"Friday is the only afternoon I don't have work." Suddenly he was very glad of that. If it wasn't Friday he would have rushed to work without looking back.

These emotions were so confusing. He just wanted to get home and sort it all out.

"That's absolutely fine." Haku smiled warmly and touched Zaku's shoulder. "Your love for your sister is truly beautiful."

"Thank you. She'll be fine, right?"

"You managed to get her treated in the early stages, so hai. Give it a week and she'll recover fully."

"Thank you Haku. I mean it. No one has ever done something like this for me." And it was true. This offer would make his life so much easier and Haku had reignited the belief that there were some truly good people in this world.

o.O.o

The first thing Zaku noticed when he entered his apartment was the envelope on the floor. Someone must have slid it through the crack under the door.

He picked it up and sat on the couch with Utako in one arm. He ripped it open and dozens of notes fell to the floor. Notes with one-hundred and one-thousand written on them. Among them was a piece of folded white paper and he opened it one-handed. Confusion flickered through his mind as he began to read.

 _Zaku,_

 _We know you're too proud to accept this in person, but here you go. We don't want you and darling Utako living on the streets because you're our friends. Friends help each other, you know that better than any of us. So deal with it._

 _Having trouble finding ¥5000? Well here you go._

 _With love,_

 _Kin and Dosu._

A single tear drop fell and smudged the word 'love'.


	17. Chapter 16

So this is the last chapter. It wasn't a very actiony story, I admit, but that's not what it was about. It was about the development of Zaku's character and I think he's a character worth writing about. That, and I haven't come across a good high school fic that featured the Sound Three.

But this isn't it. I am also posting the first chapter to the follow up story, 'The Sound Three Reunion', which covers the grade high school reunion and what everyone's gotten up to in the ten years after this chapter.

I really hope you've all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed. You make writing a thousand times more fun!

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

 **Chapter 16**

First term of his Genin year was definitely the most draining. After that, everything just seemed so easy.

The five-thousand yen from Kin and Dosu saved his apartment. He said he would pay them back but he never did. They never pushed for it either, given that Zaku had to provide for a growing girl as well as himself.

Haku kept to his word and every afternoon (except Fridays) he would keep Utako until six then drop her at _Oto Music_ an hour before Zaku finished work. Suigetsu inevitably found out about the toddler his employee hid in the back room. He was angry at first, but when Zaku explained what his hahaoya had done, the blue-haired man grudgingly forgave him. Suigetsu had always been soft on Zaku's hahaoya. Zaku thought he had been one of her clients, but Suigetsu later confessed that he loved her while she only saw him as a friend. The last time he saw her was when she asked him to give her ten-year-old son a job. Then she disappeared without a trace.

He graduated Genin year in the top five of his class along with Sasuke, Sakura, Neji and Shino. Over the winter holidays without school to worry about, he spent eight hours every weekday at _Oto Music_ to save up. Kin invited him and Dosu to her house for Christmas and it was the best Christmas they'd ever had. Utako and Eko struck up an immediate friendship when the eighteen-month-old wouldn't leave the pup alone.

Just before entering his Chuunin year, Zaku turned fifteen.

He didn't like Chuunin year much. It was the year with all the relationship drama. Shikamaru and Ino went out and broke up. Kankuro tried to ask out Kin. Sakura and Gaara got together but broke up. Towards the end of the year, Kiba and Ino tried going out but Ino hated dogs.

It was also the year that Dosu came out as asexual. When he confessed, he cringed as if Zaku and Kin would shun him for it. Hell, he was a hunchback with a deformed face. He had a right to whatever sexuality he wanted. Those were Kin's exact words and Dosu nearly cried with relief.

Jounin year was better. Now sixteen, he could get his driver's licence if he could afford it. He got paid five-yen more too at work. At the end of Jounin year Zaku made it to the top three in his class and Kin to the top five. Utako could walk and talk now and she loved when baba took her for skateboard rides to get ramen. She could never finish a bowl, which Zaku didn't mind because she got free bowls and he got to finish them. Now when she came to _Oto Music_ while he worked, instead of staying in the back room she started messing around with some of the instruments. She was too young to understand the music, but she understood the sound. She loved using all the instruments and never failed to make Zaku and Sai smile.

As well as that, Utako struck up a friendship with Konohamaru. They were both energetic children, even if Konohamaru was three-and-a-half years older, and loved to play all kinds of games. When Konohamaru was at Sarutobi's some weekends, Zaku left Utako with them instead of taking her to Day-care. She liked the kids at the Day-care, but Konohamaru was her best friend.

Then Kage year came.

It was easily the best year of Zaku's life. Utako was now four-years-old and hopefully set to begin Preschool the following year. She was so excited, especially with Konohamaru telling her all kinds of stories about Kohona Primary. It was also the year when Zaku got his black belt. Zaku's classmates were more mature too and they didn't mess around with relationships anymore, instead forming serious attachments.

He remembered how Naruto once talked about the committee leaders, way back in Genin year. Naruto said he would become Hokage, the academic leader of the school, and he did. Ino became the Mizukage, the leader of the environment committee, and planted a school flower garden. Neji became the Raikage, the social action leader, and led a series of bake sales and deliveries to the elderly to help the community. Gaara became the Kazekage, the leader of the art committee, and relit Kohona High's artistic talent by creating a school art gallery and setting up drama and music performances for students to showcase their talent. Sasuke became the Tsuchikage, the sports leader, and represented their school sports teams with dignity. With these five students leading their school into greatness, schooling became more intense as final exam approached and the year passed too soon for Zaku's liking. One moment he was walking into his first class of Kage year and the next he was standing with the rest of his year for graduation.

"I present to you, this year's graduates of Kohona High!"

Applause rang throughout the gym. The graduates stood on the bleachers, lined in order of last name, while the audience sat in chairs set along the gym floor. Tsunade stood at a raised podium between the graduates and audience, having just declared her pride for what all the young people behind her had accomplished already.

Zaku was in the front line, as his last name 'Abumi' meant he was the first in line. Shino stood beside him, smiling faintly behind his high collar.

School was only the beginning, Zaku knew. All these people around him were going out into the world to do their own thing and it was unlikely he'd see many of them for years. Still, he'd spent the last four years of his life with them and it might be hard to say goodbye to some.

He cast his gaze over the crowd in front of him and zeroes in one a long-haired man with a child in his lap. Utako wriggled impatiently while Haku beamed up at Zaku proudly. Haku had grown to see the teenager more as a younger brother and was happy to bring Utako to his graduation, no matter how bored she seemed. It was very good of him to bring her.

As one, the graduates stood and moved down from the bleachers to mingle with the audience. Zaku made a beeline for Haku and Utako and scooped his sister into his arms.

"Baba!" she squealed. "Haku not let me go to you."

"That's my little tyke," the seventeen-year-old grinned, ruffling her flyaway brown hair. A few people nearby gave him weird looks but he ignored them. Ignoring them was his specialty and Utako didn't understand nor care that they looked because of her.

"So what are your plans?" Haku asked. "Now that you've finished school, I mean."

Zaku already had his answer. "Word. I need to work so I can provide for Utako. I might go into university somewhere in the future but it's not now. I need money. And once I turn eighteen next month I can take legal guardianship of Utako and claim government support." He sighed. "It's not much of a plan, but…"

He trailed off as his Humanities teacher joined them and threw an arm around his boyfriend. "Nice to see you didn't live up to my expectations," Zabuza said casually.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Haku demanded, slipping away from under Zabuza's arm.

"I just meant I thought he was going to be a slacker and dropkick." Zabuza held out his arm and Haku moved into it again.

"Good to know," Zaku said dryly. "I'll leave you two be." He knew Zabuza liked having Haku all to himself and he had this way of making people feel uncomfortable when around he and his boyfriend.

Zaku left them and carried Utako over to Kin and her family. Dosu stood with them awkwardly, as his hahaoya hadn't made the effort to go to her son's graduation.

She'd gotten worse over the last few years. She lost the bar she owned and started stealing the money Dosu earned from working at the newspaper factory to pay for rent and alcohol. Dosu had had to find new hiding places for his money every time but she sniffed it out like a bloodhound. It was good she hadn't come.

Kin's parents made a show of seeing people they knew and rushing over to talk to them, leaving the trio and Utako alone. They looked at each other for a long moment.

"That was it," Kin said. "We graduated."

"I'm glad they didn't ask us to play tonight," Dosu commented. "I just wanna enjoy the night."

During Chuunin year they had to form a band as part of a Music assignment, find a location for a gig and play. They got a gig at Ichiraku Ramen and that led to further gigs at other places. Their band, 'Sound Three', earned some pocket money that way and played at school dances on two occasions. They knew it wasn't going anywhere but it was still a fun hobby. Zaku was on guitar and vocals, Kin was keyboard and vocals and Dosu was on drums. Due to Zaku's work schedule, they could only do late gigs but it didn't bother them.

The school had brought in a professional band to play at the graduation dance tonight, which suited them fine.

"You guys have fun," Zaku chuckled.

"Are you sure you're still not coming?" Kin asked.

"I'm sure. You know I don't have much of a taste for dancing."

"If they have cake I'll bring you a piece," Dosu said."

"That sounds good." Zaku hefted Utako in his arms. "Well I have to get home now and feed this one. I'll see you around?"

"See you around."

He turned and dodged through the noisy crowd to get out of the gym and get his skateboard. His friends had grown up so much. Dosu still had bandages and Kin still had long hair but they were taller and their features more defined. Kin's chest was bigger and Dosu had put on some muscle weight. They looked the same as the fourteen-year-olds that had befriended him but so different. The circles beneath Kin's eyes deepened once she started interning at her chichi's company and so did Dosu's from his nights at the newspaper factory.

As for him? He was out with Dosu one day and Dosu told him that a group of girls whispered when they walked past. He reasoned that he had to be somewhat good-looking for that to happen, but he'd never been interested in seeking a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend for that matter. Sometimes he wondered if he was asexual like Dosu but deep down he knew he wasn't. He just hadn't met the right girl yet.

Utako squealed with delight as the wind rushed through her hair. Now that he wasn't in school anymore he could work full-time and earn enough money to get a skateboard for her next birthday. Money had always been a big part of his life and maybe now it wouldn't be. If he kept up his current spending and increased his earning… his savings would be immense. And Utako would get everything he didn't.

But money wasn't everything. She would get the most important thing Zaku didn't: love.

They arrived back home and Utako ran up the stairs first. Zaku chased after her, laughing, and handed over the key. She always loved turning the key and opening the apartment door.

"Okay sweetie, now put on your gi and I'll brush your hair."

"Hai!" Utako ran into their bedroom and pulled her gi from the wardrobe. She started karate the moment she turned four (six months ago) and she loved it. Zaku worked off enough money at the dojo to get her a gi and white-belt and she looked adorable in it.

His gi, which was a fair few sizes bigger, rested underneath Utako's and he dressed himself and tied on his black-belt. He helped his sister tie on her white-belt, took her to the bathroom, wet down her hair, brushed it and tied it in a ponytail. He was debating asking Kin to teach him how to plait when Utako's hair got longer.

"Baba, do you still have to go to school?" Utako asked as he finished the ponytail.

He hefted her in his arms. "No. Today was my last day and I won't be going back. You'll be going to school next year!" Hopefully. If he couldn't get a government grant when he turned eighteen she wouldn't be able to go. It was one of those things he couldn't predict.

Her smile made his stomach turn somersaults and he pulled on his old scraggly shoes before leaving the apartment and locking the door behind him. He went to the apartment next door and knocked.

"They're here!" Sarutobi yelled from behind the closed door. Someone scrambled around inside and the door swung inward. Konohamaru bounded out in a gi with a white-belt on and a headband holding his scruffy brown hair back. He'd gotten the headband idea off Zaku, who still wore the same headband with a music note emblazoned on the front.

"Hey squirt, you ready?" he asked the seven-year-old.

"You bet I am! Bye grandpa!"

"I'll see you soon," old man Sarutobi farewelled. He nodded his thanks to Zaku and shut the door behind his grandson. Konohamaru had been jealous of Utako when she started karate and begged his chichi to let him go too. Asuma let Konohamaru do the Friday classes as long as Sarutobi took him. Sarutobi didn't tell his son that he let Zaku take Konohamaru to karate because the teenager was going there anyway.

The trio left the apartment block and walked to the dojo. In the children's case, they ran, and Zaku was hard-pressed to keep up.

They reached the dojo five minutes before class started and the children immediately rushed onto the mats to play chase with the other children. Zaku left his shoes out front and moved to the payment box and inserted ¥750: ¥300 for Konohamaru, ¥300 for Utako and ¥150 for himself.

Jiraiya came over to give the teenager his usual greeting. "How's my favourite black-belt?" the white-haired man asked.

"I'm good, just graduated high school."

"Tsunade said you were. How does it feel being so old?"

"I'm not old. I'm seventeen! You're the old one here."

Jiraiya smirked. "Kid, you're only as old as the woman you're feeling."

Zaku gagged. "Okay, I did _not_ need to know that."

The older man laughed and clapped Zaku's shoulder. "I know, kid. Now let's get this class up and running."

o.O.o

"Did you _see_ my kicks? They were totally awesome today!"

"Hai, hai and my squat kicks! I could've done a hundred more!"

The two children babbled excitedly on their way home. Exercise seemed to make them more hyper instead of tiring them out. Zaku sometimes got exhausted just trying to keep up with them.

He suddenly burst into a run and overtook them. "Last one home's a rotten egg!" he shouted.

Of course, he would've gotten home first if he didn't have to stop at a roadside and let a car pass. That gave Utako and Konohamaru time to catch up and overtake him. Then they started calling him a rotten egg.

Zaku knocked on Sarutobi's door and the old man answered.

"Ah, thank you for bringing my troublesome grandson back home," he chuckled.

"No problem. Wait until he tells you all about his amazing kicks today."

"Hai grandpa, they were awesome!"

Sarutobi placed a hand on Konohamaru's head and the boy hugged his grandpa. "So Zaku, would you and your sister like to come over for dinner? After you've washed up, of course."

Zaku smiled. "Hai, Sarutobi. We'd be honoured."

"Yay grandpa!" Utako cried. Since Konohamaru called him grandpa, she'd taken to calling him grandpa too. Zaku grinned at Sarutobi and took his sister's hand.

"Well we'll get cleaned up and then come on over."

"Hai, I'll see you both then."

o.O.o

"Baba, what does no school mean?" Utako winced as cold water showered down her little body.

Zaku got the soap and scrubbed her completely. "It means I will be working full-time. I will probably work all day on weekdays and get weekends off."

"Does Sai have no school too?"

"Hai, but I don't think he'll be at the shop anymore. He's going to Tokyo to study art."

"But Tokyo is so far away…" She stepped under the stream and washed off all the soap before getting out of the shower and wrapping a towel around her shoulders. Zaku scrubbed himself with soap and was washed in thirty seconds. He turned off the freezing water and ruffled his hair to get rid of some of the moisture. First order of business when he started earning more money: warm water.

"I know it's really far away, but that's what he wants to do."

"What do you want to do?"

"What do I want to do?" He lifted her into his arms and kissed her damp forehead. "Sweetie, all I want to do is be a good baba for you."

She smiled sweetly. "So you won't go to Tokyo too?"

"No way! Besides, where I go, you go."

She threw her arms around his neck and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "I love you baba."

He laughed. "I love you too, little tyke. Now let's get you dry and dressed." He put her down and rubbed the towel all over her body, paying special attention to her hair. Once she was dry, he dried himself and they went to their bedroom to get dressed.

Zaku pulled on his well-worn jeans and a black t-shirt with red kanji written on the front (he'd bought it for ¥200 at a local second-hand shop). Utako had a cute little purple jumpsuit (he'd bought it from the same shop) and fluffy striped socks. She sat on the floor and he knelt behind her and brushed her hair into a small ponytail.

He couldn't deny that she was starting to look like him. They had the same eyes and her hair had a similar texture, but was slightly finer. Their facial features were almost a match, with her nose a cute button rather than long like her brother's. Zaku was fit and well-built while she still had her baby chub. Hopefully she would grow out of it.

"There, you look very pretty." He set the brush on their bedside table and grabbed the keys before leaving the apartment. He straightened his shirt and knocked on Sarutobi's door.

Konohamaru answered and beamed. "Grandpa! They're here!" His hair was damp and cheeks were rosy, evidence of a shower.

Sarutobi's apartment was set out almost exactly the same as Zaku's except he had a lot more furniture, namely dining table and chairs and a television. The table was set with four servings of steaming rice and dumplings and it smelt wondrous.

The four sat around the table, grabbed their chopsticks and dug in. Konohamaru and Utako started babbling about some game while Sarutobi fixed Zaku with a serious glare.

"So," the old man said, "I understand you intend to claim child support when you turn eighteen?"

"Hai. Government support would be great. I need to pay for Utako's school."

"You have to be really careful when dealing with bureaucracy, it has a tendency to stab you in the back. They will look for every opportunity to get out of paying you money so they can horde it for themselves. I've had my pension slashed twice because of bureaucracy."

"Thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to be careful." Zaku dug into his dumplings and listened to Konohamaru and Utako talk about video games.

After dinner, Zaku helped Sarutobi wash the dishes while the children turned on the television to the cartoon channel. Konohamaru sat in Sarutobi's fluffy old armchair and Utako curled in his lap with her arms around him. It was sort of cute.

Zaku put the last plate in the cupboard and said goodnight to Sarutobi. Utako was nodding off and he gathered her in his arms before leaving the apartment.

"Looks like someone needs to go to bed," he told her.

"No baba!" she groaned. He shut their apartment door behind him and carried Utako to their bedroom. He put on her pyjamas and carried her to the bathroom so she could brush her teeth.

Someone knocked on the door. "This is a robbery!"

Zaku smirked at the familiar voice and left Utako to brush her teeth. He opened the door and Dosu and Kin stood there with a piece of cake. Dosu looked very dapper in a black suit he'd rented but Kin… she looked stunning in a full-length blue dress with her hair curled and piled on top of her head, the vision only flawed by the battered backpack she held. The words stuck in Zaku's throat and he stared at her.

"Um, Zaku?" Dosu asked, waving his hand in front of his friends face. Zaku fought his feelings aside and plastered a grin on his face.

"Dosu, you should have told me you were bringing a date over. Who's the lovely lady?"

Kin giggled. "I think that's his way of saying he can barely recognise me."

"Obviously." Zaku rolled his eyes and moved aside for them to enter. They sat on the couch and Zaku put the cake in the fridge so he could share it with Utako tomorrow. The girl came out of the bathroom and launched herself at Kin.

"You look to pretty!" Utako gushed. Kin smiled and something stirred in Zaku's stomach. In all honesty, he'd never seen a girl so beautiful.

Dosu cleared his throat. "Uh, Zaku, I was hoping I could crash here for the night. I don't really want to go home."

"Hai, that's okay. I can lend you a shirt." Zaku fetched the shirt and Dosu retreated to the bathroom to change. Kin grabbed her backpack and pulled out a shirt and shorts.

"I hope you don't mind, but uh, I'd prefer to sleep here too." She blushed underneath all the make-up. "I don't want to go home tonight."

"I don't mind. You're my friends. But I hope you're okay with the couch."

She snorted. "You know I'm okay with the couch." She smiled and the feeling in Zaku's stomach got stronger.

"You know Kin, you really do look beautiful." Without waiting for a reply, he extracted Utako from her and took her to bed. She passed out on the pillow and he drew the blanket over her shoulders and shut the door behind him. Dosu was in the middle of folding out the couch and Kin was changing in the bathroom. He helped Dosu with the couch and waited for Kin to come out of the bathroom before grabbing some sheets from the bathroom cupboard. The trio sat cross-legged on the mattress and sighed.

Kin looked much better with her hair loose and face make-up-free. She yawned and stretched. "You didn't really miss out on much tonight. We ate some food, danced a bit and came here."

"You left out the bit when Shikamaru tried to kiss you," Dosu added. Zaku's stomach lurched.

Kin made a noise of disgust. "That was just weird. You should have seen Sasuke and Naruto though, they got _really_ down on the dance floor. It was like watching a couple of exotic dancers."

"On the bright side we never have to go back there," Dosu said. "It's just a question of what we do now. I know I'm going to keep working and saving up. Maybe study Music one day."

"I'll go to University and study Business then come back and help chichi manage his company. It's not like I have much choice, but maybe after a few years of doing that I can travel and play music."

Zaku laughed. "Well my ability to make decisions for myself ended today. From now on I'm putting all my energy towards giving Utako the best childhood, so I'm going to work so I can provide for her and make her as happy as I can."

Dosu leant forward. "The word around our classmates tonight was that you weren't there because you had to take care of your kid. I hope you don't mind, but Kin and I announced to everyone that she was your kid sister so you didn't have to be embarrassed."

"I wouldn't've had the courage to do it myself, thanks guys."

Kin nudged Dosu. "Now you've made him happy, ask him."

"Ask me what?"

Dosu looked down and fidgeted with part of the sheet. "Well, you know how my hahaoya isn't improving…"

"Hai."

"And you turn eighteen next month…"

"Hai?"

"Can I come and live with you?"

Zaku gaped. "Uh…"

"Well, you'll be eighteen and old enough to own your own place legally, so if I move here she can't say anything about it. And when I turn eighteen I'll be fully independent from her." The look on Dosu's face was so hopeful. Would it really be bad for one of his best friends to live with him? If anything, it meant more money and that would really help once Utako started school and needed schoolbooks and stuff.

Kin rolled her eyes. "His only condition is that Eko can come too."

"Oh, hai, that too." Dosu nodded and clasped his hands together in a begging position. "Please Zaku. It would be good for both of us."

"I guess…"

Dosu collapsed on the mattress and accidentally whacked Kin's leg. "Oh that's a relief! I've been worried about this for months and now I can finally get away from her!"

If anything bad came out of the agreement, at least Zaku could find solace in Dosu's expression of pure happiness right now, half-hidden behind his bandages.

They talked for half an hour before deciding to go to bed. Dosu and Kin climbed under the sheet and bade Zaku goodnight. He switched off the light, smiled at his two best friends in the dark, and went to bed.

Utako was still fast asleep and he stripped down to a t-shirt and shorts before climbing in with her and draping an arm around her. So, Dosu would be moving in with him in a month and bring Eko with him. Utako would love that. And they both had jobs. Maybe Dosu could try and get a second one so they could stock up on a good amount of money and get lots more food and some new furniture. A better couch, some kitchen appliances… his mind flooded with the possibilities.

He cleared his mind and ran a hand through Utako's hair. She really was the best thing to ever happen to him, so were Kin and Dosu.

They made his worthless life worth living.

o.O.o

 _Owari_


End file.
